


Tendencies of Addiction

by The_Queen_of_Thorns (orphan_account)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Twins, Derek/OC - Freeform, Erica & Sarah (OC) friendship, F/M, Follows from Episode 1x01 Wolf Moon, Gen, Kira Yukimura/Scott McCall eventually, Multi, Possible Character Death, Possible Erica/Aidan, Possible Erica/Isaac Lahey, Possible Stalia, Possible Stydia, Scott McCall & Sarah McCall (twinfic), Season 1, Will follow through to Season 4 and beyond, With multiple changes, forever disregarding Derek's age, mate you'll be what ever age I want, not 25, which is 21
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-11-18
Packaged: 2018-02-20 06:21:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 30,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2418257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/The_Queen_of_Thorns
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A twist in fate, a second in time and something changed. Not one, but two dark haired babies were born that fateful night in October. Now, sixteen years later, Sarah McCall couldn't have predicted how drastically the course of her life would alter when she followed her brother and best friend into the Beacon Hill's Preserve the night before the start of their Sophomore year. She certainly couldn't have predicted the danger their new life would bring, the hardships they'd face, the friends they'd lose and the love that would bloom in adversity.<br/>[Derek/OC]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wolf Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I know!" Stiles laughed. "You're werewolves! Okay, okay!" He dodged another of Scott's half-assed swipes. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But if you see me in shop class melting all the silver I can find, it's because Friday's a full moon."
> 
> "You know what Scott, he's actually kinda funny." Sarah smirked. "I think we should kill him last. You know, saving the best and all that."
> 
> Stiles eyes widened. "I was kidding about the silver I promise."
> 
> Sarah grinned. "And I was kidding about saving you till last."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to a Series I hope to finish, probably never will, and will update erratically at best. Here you'll find a bed of sarcasm, awkward humour, lust, love, and way too much danger for a bunch of sixteen-year-olds to face alone. I hope you enjoy the first instalment of Tendencies of Addiction, cause they might just keep on coming!

**Tendencies of Addiction**

**Chapter One**

**Wolf Moon**

* * *

 The last thing sixteen-year-old Sarah McCall expected as she crawled into bed the night before her sophomore year of High School was to be woken up by her agitated twin brother at two o'clock in the morning. Especially when the wake-up call involved his large hand covering her mouth effectively muting any chances of screaming her head off in a justified and reasonably girly manner. In a move that any respectable five-year-old would be proud of, she licked his hand causing him to grimace and pull his hand away, frantically rubbing it on his jeans.

"What the hell is your problem?" She whispered angrily as she wiped her lips and sat up in her queen-sized bed.

"I think there's somebody in the house." Scott responded tightly.

The brunette nodded, all traces of anger at her brother evaporating as she took in his tense demeanor and the stainless steel bat in his hand. No one in their family played baseball, however Melissa, their mother, disapproved of all things gun related (Except for when the police were involved) and so, they'd gotten a nice, sturdy, reliable, baseball bat.

Scott grasped her hand tightly and pulled his younger sister (by eleven minutes and twenty-nine seconds) smoothly out of bed. Sarah hissed as her bare feet hit the cold floor, and smiled as her twin handed her a pair of uggboots, a knowing grin passing his lips momentarily. Slipping her feet into the fluffy warmth of the boots she followed Scott closely as he held the bat aloft and stealthily walked down the stairs, stopping at the front door he pulled it open swiftly cringing at the slight creak of the door.

"Stay behind me." Scott mouthed and she nodded. He'd been her protector from a young age, stepping into the role that their father had abandoned seven years after they were born. As it turned out, Andrew had wanted a son, but not a daughter. She'd learned that particular bit of information the hard way when Scott came home in a towering rage after living with the man for six months. He'd refused to talk about exactly what Andrew had said to him, except to say that they were better off without him in their lives. It had taken their Mom sitting her down and explaining that no, there wasn't anything wrong with her and yes, she'd always,  _always_  love her, no matter what happened, for her to accept that it wasn't her fault that he'd left.

The brunette was jarred out of her thoughts as Scott stopped suddenly in front of her. Not paying any attention whatsoever caused her to walk into his back sending him careening forwards. He hit the deck with a loud thump as the bat clattered on the wood in front of him.

"Shit, Scott!" Sarah swore as she bent down to help him up. Scott picked up the bat with his free hand and grasped her hand firmly with the other. With a small heave the slightly shorter brunette pulled him upright. A loud crack echoed in their ears as a vine fell from the climbing garden at the edge of the porch, Sarah jumped back, a scream tearing from her throat as she came face to face with Stiles Stilinski. The brown-haired boy was tenuously hanging upside down- he'd hooked his legs over a thick branch further up and he was praying that said branch would stay exactly were it was with his added body weight. Stiles grinned sheepishly before yelling in shock as Scott reflexively swung the silver bat towards him, narrowly missing his head.

"Stiles!" Scott yelped as he dropped the bat, letting it hang at his side. He'd almost clobbered his best friend! "What the hell are you doing?"

"Neither of you were answering your phones!"

"It's two AM!" Sarah screeched, angry with the older boy for disturbing her last night of proper sleep before school started.

"Why do you have a bat?" Stiles continued hysterically.

Scott glared at him and gestured towards his twin. "I thought you were a predator!"

"A what?" Stiles looked confused at the thought of him being considered a 'predator'. Glancing at his female best friend's sleeping attire his mouth formed a small 'o' before he continued. "Look I know it's late guys but you've got to hear this. I saw my Dad leave twenty minutes ago. Dispatch called, they're bringing in every officer from the Beacon Hills department and even the State police."

"For what?" The brunette girl asked curiously, her interest peaked by Stiles' tale.

He turned to her and smirked "Two joggers found a body in the woods." He flipped upside down and jumped to the ground, expertly landing on his feet.

"A dead body?" Scott asked curiously.

Sarah smacked him upside the back of his head at his stupidity as Stiles answered. "No a body of water. Yes dumbass a dead body."

The shorter boy vaulted onto the deck.

"You mean like murdered." Scott asked again.

"Nobody knows yet. Just that it was a girl. Probably in her twenties."

"Hold on." She held up her hand. "If they found the body then what are they looking for." 

"That's the best part. They only found half." Stiles grinned bouncing on the balls of his feet. He stared at the two expectantly. "We're so going!" 

* * *

"Are we seriously doing this? Because you know, now that we're here, this doesn't seem like such a good idea." Sarah muttered as Stiles practically lifted her out of the jeep in his haste to find the body. Sarah looked around in trepidation, the Preserve certainly was creepier at night.

"Honestly Sare, you're the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town!" Scott responded wryly as he linked their arms together.

The brunette scowled. "I think you'll find that the one bitching is Eri. Personally I'm quite happy with Beacon Hill's suffocating normalness."

Stiles laughed loudly. "She has a point there, Scotty."

"She's going to be furious that she missed this." Scott wheezed, his asthma flaring as they traipsed through the Preserve. "You know what? I'm beginning to agree with Sare. This was a bad idea."

"Oh don't be such a baby." Stiles snapped as he raced ahead.

"I was trying to get a good nights sleep before practice tomorrow." Scott whined as he pulled his twin along after Stiles.

"Right." He called back to his friends. "Cause sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort."

Sarah smothered a laugh. Scott had been benched since their freshman year, his asthma preventing him from being able to last a whole game, and in typical Coach Finstock style, this translated into Scott being a crash-test dummy in practices.

"No, because I'm playing this year." Her brother replied annoyed. "In fact, I'm making first line!"

"Hey, that's the spirit!" Stiles responded happily, as he bounced along the trail. "Everyone should have a dream, even a pathetically unrealistic one!"

Sarah snickered as Scott shot them both a glare. "Ha ha."

"Um just out of curiosity what half of the body are we looking for?" Sarah asked, steering the topic safely away from Scott's lack of skill at Lacrosse.

"Huh. I didn't even think about that."

Scott spoke up, his spine tingling as he realized something else. "And uh, what if the thing that killed her is still out here?"

"Also something I didn't think about." Stiles replied sheepishly.

Sarah groaned loudly. "It is so encouraging that you've planned this little expedition with your  _usual_ attention to detail!"

The twins paused as Scott gasped loudly and took a puff of his inhaler. "Maybe the severe asthmatic should be the one holding the flashlight, yeah?"

Stiles waved his hand dismissively as he easily climbed an embankment only to slip and fall flat on his face as he reached the top. Sarah smirked at her twin and pulled him up the hill. Her eyes widened as she realized that Stiles hadn't slipped, but had purposely fallen to the ground to avoid the flashlights in the distance.

"Stiles wait!" Sarah hissed as the boy in front of them jumped up and sprinted forward through the shadows to find a better vantage point.

"Come on!" Stiles whispered loudly, his voice carrying towards them.

Sarah shrank back into the shadow of the large oak tree that she'd taken refuge behind. Scott glanced up at her from his place on the ground and shook his head. The brunette nodded. Neither would follow their friend, they simply couldn't afford to be caught. Scott inched towards her hiding spot and took a deep breath from his inhaler. Sarah cringed as a dog barked in the distance, there was no way that Stiles would get himself out of this one, not when there were trained police dogs involved.

"Stop! Stop right there!"

"He's done for." Scott whispered. Sarah nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Hold up! This little delinquent belongs to me." The McCall twins cringed at the sound of Sherriff Stilinski's voice. Stiles was in trouble.

"Dad how are you doing?" Stiles asked smoothly as he got up off the ground and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

John Stilinski stared down at his son, amusement glittering in his eyes as he kept his expression stony. "So do you listen into all my phone calls?"

"Not the boring ones?" The brunet squeaked nervously.

"Where are your usual partners in Crime?" John paused and shone his flashlight into the woods. "Scott?" He paused. "Sarah?" He called loudly. Sarah pressed her body harder against the rough bark of the tree and covered her mouth with her hand in an effort to quiet her breathing. The last thing they needed was one of John's patented disappointed stares. He'd been the closest thing to a father either of them had to a father and neither of the twins wanted to let him down.

"Uh, they stayed home. Said something about a good nights sleep?" Stiles shook his head "It's just me. In the woods. Alone."

"Right." John nodded disbelievingly. "Sarah you out there kiddo?" His eyes scanned the darkness. "Scott?" The twins' stiffened as his flashlight passed over their hiding spot. Feeling satisfied with his search the Sheriff grasped the back of his son's neck loosely and pulled him towards him. "Well young man. I'm going to walk you to your car and you and I are going to have a conversation about something called invasion of privacy."

* * *

The twins waited until the flashlights had all but disappeared before they risked stepping out of the shadows of their hiding spot. Sarah cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders as she stepped out into the open.

"C'mon sis. We have a long walk home." Scott announced tiredly as he pulled out his cell phone and switched on the torch.

"Bloody Stiles." The brunette muttered as she brushed dried leaves and dirt off of her dark blue sweat pants. Pulling out her own phone she sighed as she flipped on the torch. She was right earlier. This  _was_  a bad idea. Scott shook his inhaler noisily as they stumbled along in the darkness, something that Sarah wouldn't complain about, simply because it was a welcome relief from the eerily silent woods that surrounded them.

A loud howl pierced the air causing the hairs on the back of their necks to stand on end. "Was that a howl?" Scott asked shakily as he gripped his phone tighter.

Sarah shook her head immediately. "Impossible." She denied. "There aren't any wolves in California... Right?"

Scott shrugged- how would he know if there were wolves in California? The ground rumbled beneath them causing both of them to pause. "What the hell?" His eyes widened in shock as a herd of deer stampeded towards them. The older McCall bodily threw himself towards his younger sister sending them both tumbling away from the heavy hooves of the herd. Scott covered Sarah as much as he could with his larger body- it didn't matter to him if he got hurt, as long as she was okay.

The thunderous sound dimmed and faded as the last deer bounded away into the darkness. Scott sat up his arms still tight around his sister. He cupped her face lightly. "Are you okay?" He scowled as his eyes came to rest on a bloody gash on her cheek. "Does it hurt?"

Sarah gripped his wrists. "I'm fine Scotty. I just wanna go home."

"I know." Scott kissed her forehead and dropped his hands from her face, taking her hand instead. Knowing it would be a long walk home he felt for his inhaler- his eyes widening when he realized that it wasn't there. "Shit." He groaned. "I've lost my inhaler- Mom is going to kill me!"

Directing the torchlights on their phones to the ground they began to search for the tiny device of plastic and metal. Sarah pulled her hand from her brother's intending to search in the opposite direction. Bending down she brushed some leaves aside, scowling as she unearthed a chip packet and not the inhaler as she had hoped. A loud shout behind her caused her to jump in shock. Spinning in her brother's direction her stomach plummeted when she saw he was nowhere in sight.

"Scott!" Sarah yelled, terror leeching into her voice.

"I'm here!"

The brunette scowled, "Where the hell is here dumbass!"

"Down here!"

Sarah's mouth formed a perfect 'o' as she peered through the darkness down an embankment. "I still can't see you! You're too far down!" She paused and raised the light. "Are you okay?"

Scott sighed. "I'm fine! Stay where you are though, I'll climb back up to you!"

The brunette sighed. Without his inhaler, it would take at least fifteen minutes for Scott to climb back up to her. "Okay!" Turning away from the embankment she resumed her search of the inhaler. Keeping her eyes to the ground she slowly shone the light from side to side hoping that she'd just stumble across the small device. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack! A loud snap behind her caused her to jump in fright, the brunette was sent sprawling as her left foot caught on a fallen branch. Reaching her hands out to stop her fall Sarah hissed in pain as her right arm audibly cracked, and bend in an awkward angle.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." She bit out as she sat up and cradled her now useless arm to her chest. How the hell was she supposed to explain that one to her Mom?

Her breathing was shallow from the pain- her breaths coming in short, sharp gasps instead of their normal rhythm. Sarah staggered to her feet her eyes scanning for the dim light of her phone, having dropped it when she fell. Spotting it several feet away, she groaned as she picked it up and realized the screen was completely shattered. A low growling behind her caused her to freeze. Her earlier crack about there not being any wolves in California had come back to haunt her- the fear she felt as she slowly inched around to face the growling was purely primitive- every instinct she had was screaming at her to run- to hide- to be anywhere but here.

The thing before her wasn't anything like the wolf she had expected. It was a horrific, mutated being- a monster- something that should have only existed on the silver screens of a Hollywood movie or in the pages of a Grimm Brothers fairytale. It was a thing that she couldn't have conjured even in her wildest dreams. It's crimson eyes flashed with untamed madness it seemed to relish in her fear and yet at the same time there was a spark of calculated intelligence as if it knew exactly what it was doing as it stalked towards her.

A blood-curtailing scream left her lips as the monster kept towards her it's fangs bared in a terrifying grimace. Sarah's screams heightened as the wolf- if you could possibly call it such a thing- clamped its razor sharp fangs into her right shoulder, biting it harshly before tearing it's teeth away roughly and bounding away. The brunette sunk to the ground in shock, her shoulder was bleeding profusely, and she could feel what was left of her strength leaving her as she lifted her shaking left hand to press against her mangled shoulder timidly.

Sarah cried out in pain as she pain in her shoulder doubled and spread to the base of her neck. Despite the heat from the blood still seeping from her wound, the rest of her body felt as though it had been submerged in an ice bath. "Scott." She cried softly. "Help me." The brunette's head felt heavy, it was as though she was seeing everything from a distance- the clarity refused to return to her haze filled mind. "Somebody help me?" She pleaded. Maybe if she just shut her eyes for a few moments. Perhaps everything would be better then. "I'm tired Scotty... It hurts." She mumbled as she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Her eyelids were heavy- as though bricks or cement had weighted them down and despite the almost crushing pain... she felt weightless. As though she was flying. She'd always wanted to fly. Blue eyes opened slowly- it was dark but she realized that she wasn't floating- or flying. Instead she was being held tightly in someone's, extremely muscular arms.

"You... saved me?" She croaked looking up into dark eyes. "Are you..." Sarah cried out loudly as her shoulder jarred sharply. "Are you an angel?"

The man holding her seemed to stiffen. "Close your eyes. You'll feel better soon."

The blue-eyed girl complied sluggishly.  _How long would it take her to feel better?_  She wondered absently. She was already feeling the effects of the blood-loss, her head felt fuzzy and her arm  _burned._  Sarah gripped the man's collar with the last of her strength.

"Will I... see you...?"

Her tenuous grip on consciousness was slipping but she was determined to hear his answer.

"One day."

She sighed and released his shirt, giving into the blessed relief of unconsciousness.

* * *

Sarah sighed as she rolled over and yelped as she inadvertently put all over her body weight on her injured shoulder. Her eyes shot open, widening exponentially as she realized that she was in her bedroom. Glancing down she noticed that not only was her shoulder bandaged, but also her wrist had been set, bandaged and put into a sling.  _How the hell was that even possible_ she thought through her shock.

There was no way that she could have done it herself, not in her state. Hell, she'd thought that she was dead, and yet here she was bandaged, safe and most importantly, alive. So the question was,  _who_  had bandaged her and  _how_  had she gotten home? Had Scott- She froze. Scott!

"Scott!" Sarah shouted as she slid out of her bed and practically sprinted to her door.

Said door was flung open before she could reach it and the brunette soon found her self spinning in the air as her twin hugged her tightly. "Jesus Christ Sare. I was so scared- I couldn't find you and you won't believe what happened..." Scott trailed off as he placed her back on the hardwood floor and noticed the bandages. "What happened? Were you- were you-"

"Bitten?" The younger girl supplied wearily.

Scott sighed and dropped onto the edge of her bed. "I hoped that when I couldn't find you that you were fine, I hoped that you were safe."

Sarah hugged him with her good arm. "I know Scotty, I know." She slipped back into her childish nickname of her brother, something that she only did when she was sad, scared or sympathetic. She'd outgrown the name long ago, and so had he, but it was still a comfort thing.

"Does it hurt?" He whispered.

"Yeah, but if I'm honest I think the broken arm hurts more."

Scott gaped. "Broken arm? How the hell did that happen?"

"I fell, before the wolf? bit me." Sarah used the term wolf hesitantly. "Did you- did you see it?"

The older boy shook his head. "No. I didn't. Whatever it was- it was big- and strong- Sare, it jumped up the embankment, cleanly. It knocked me down and bit me... It was as though I was an afterthought..."

"It was different with me." The blue-eyed girl replied uneasily. "It stopped. Watched me. It knew exactly what was going on- Scotty, that thing, whatever it was, wasn't some dumb animal- I could see-" She stopped and shook her head. How could she tell her brother she saw  _intelligence_  in its crimson eyes. How could she tell him that it  _knew_  exactly what it was doing to them? "We're going to be late."

"Sare-"

"I'm fine Scotty, don't worry."

* * *

The two McCall's strolled into school with minutes to spare. It had taken longer than she'd thought to get dressed this morning, even after she'd forgone the shower, opting for a quick going over with a face-washer. She'd struggled into her light ripped skinny jeans, thanked god for the invention of zip-up boots and tucked her baggy t-shirt into the front of her jeans and shrugged on a back blazer. The pain in her shoulder had dulled however her forearm screamed in protest whenever she moved it. It wasn't as if she could go to the hospital- they'd find the bite, and how was she supposed to explain that?

She'd never been so thankful that her Mom had overstocked their bathrooms with first aid supplies. Sarah had checked as soon as Scott had left, and found that some of the supplies were missing- two bandages, a sling and a brace. Her Angel. Not only had he saved her, but he'd brought her home and patched her up. The fact that a bottle of pain medication had been left out on the bathroom counter only strengthened her resolve to find the person who'd saved her life. She had to thank him somehow right? But on the other hand, what if he'd been the one to warrant the need of bandages? Could her Angel, also be her Demon? She shook her head, even if he was a Demon... she felt far safer with him protecting her life, even if he was the one she needed the protection from.

"Dude! Watch the paint job." Sarah turned, watching as Jackson Whittemore scolded her brother for stepping to close to his precious silver Porsche.

"Dude." Scott responded sarcastically. "Nobody says dude."

Jackson glared at him before plastering a smirk on his face as he spotted her. "Looking good McCall." He smirked as he eyed the sling.

Sarah scowled. "You're still an asshole then."

"And you're still a bitch." He called over his shoulder with a grin as he swaggered away.

"Twat." She muttered waiting for her twin to catch up for her.

"Okay!" Stiles said happily as he bounded over to them. "Let's see this thing!" Scott pulled up his shirt showing his bandaged side. Judging from the somewhat sloppy job Sarah realized he must have attempted to cover it himself. Stiles' eyes widened in shock as he saw the size of the bite. He tentatively poked it, pulling his hand back quickly as his best friend hissed in pain. He turned towards the other brunette and seemed to droop as he noticed her sling and heavily bandaged arm. "I really hope you just tripped and fell." He muttered as he stared at her.

Sarah shook her head.

"Damn it." Stiles muttered angrily. "I thought you'd be okay. I thought I could come back and get you... I didn't think this..." He gestured to their bandages as he trailed off.

"Yeah well, you didn't think and there's nothing you can do about it now." Sarah responded with a snap. She didn't want to blame Stiles, but it was his idea, and he had left them in the woods with no way home.

Scott shook his head. "It wasn't his fault Sare."

"It was his idea!"

"Sare, I'm sor-"

She shook her head and changed the subject. "We think it was a wolf."

"No." Stiles laughed. "Not a chance."

"Stiles, we heard it."

"No. Because California doesn't have wolves! Not for at least sixty years." Stiles replied stubbornly.

Sarah grasped his arm and pulled them to a stop. "Stiles. What we  _saw..._  it wasn't normal." She shuddered. "It was like something out of a nightmare- it was strong, fast and it was  _toying_ with us. It  _knew_  exactly what it was doing."

Both boys shuddered. "Sare... Are you sure-"

"Jesus Stiles. Yes she's sure! Now if you're done questioning my sister's sanity I'll tell you what else I found last night."

Sarah rolled her uninjured shoulder back, hoping to relieve some of the tension. "Your Inhaler perhaps?"

"No." Scott poked his tongue out hoping to return some of the light heartedness to their small group. "I found the body."

Stiles stumbled as he jumped up and down in excitement. "Are you kidding me?" He yelped.

"Oh god I wish. I'm going to have nightmares for months."

Sarah glanced at her brother. He hadn't told her that. Not that she could judge him she supposed, for she hadn't told him about her Angel. And she wouldn't. Not until she found out who it was that had saved her life.

"That is freaking awesome! I mean this is seriously going to be the best thing that has happened to this town since." His eyes slid towards the strawberry blonde that was strutting towards them. "Since the birth of Lydia Martin. Hey Lydia!"

Lydia paused as she stared at the small group, her eyes widening as a genuine smile formed on her face. "Sarah? What the hell did you do to your arm?!"

"Lydia!" The brunette grinned as she pulled the girl into a one armed hug. "Oh well, you know me. Apparently heels aren't a good idea." The lie fell from her lips easily, and she was glad that her brother made no move to deny her story. She'd gotten awfully good at lying and even though the guilt remained and the beginning of a web was formed, lies were simple. Safe. "It's just a sprain. So how was Rome?"

Lydia's eyes lit up. "It was beautiful. You wouldn't believe how much I lear-bought. How much I bought. Obviously." She laughed nervously.

Sarah smirked at her friend's slip. She was one of the few people that had realized that Lydia was more than just designer clothing and lip-gloss. Her friend had a  _genius_  level IQ, the only thing she couldn't understand about the strawberry blonde, was why she dumbed herself down for a guy. That the guy was Jackson Whittemore was insulting. That boy wouldn't know the difference between a spatula and a serving spoon.

"So how was good old Beacon Hills?" Lydia continued still attempting to cover her slip.

The brunette stiffened. "Oh you know. Same old, same old."

Both girls glanced towards the open doors of the school as the bell rang. "Catch up later?"

Lydia nodded. "I'll call you." She hugged the brunette lightly, carefully avoiding her injured arm. Pulling away she waved over her shoulder as she walked up the stairs. "Bye!"

Stiles snaked an arm around Sarah's waist and pulled her close. "How is it," He whined, "That she ignores me, but adores you?"

"Oh Stiles." The blue-eyed girl laughed. "That may have something to do with the fact that I haven't stalked her since the third grade."

"Ahh." He conceded with a grin. "The Lady has a point."

* * *

The three friends slid into desks in their first class with minutes to spare. Dumping her satchel on the ground beside her, Sarah pulled out a spiral-bound notebook and a pen setting them on the table in front of her.

"As you all know, there indeed was a body found in the woods last night-" Stiles winked as both brunettes glanced at him. "Now I'm sure your little minds are coming up with various macabre scenarios, however I am here to inform you that the police have a suspect in custody. Which means you can give your undivided attention to the syllabus on your desk outlining this semester."

Sarah picked up the syllabus on her desk and sighed. She hated modern world history. Ancient Civilizations was more to her speed, however this year, Ancient Civ's wasn't running and she needed a history class to pass sophomore year. The brunette flinched as the shrill sounds of a cell phone assaulted her eardrums. She shifted in her seat, attempting to find the person with the phone only to find her brother doing the same. The two siblings locked eyes- Scott shrugged, an answer to her unasked question. Sarah shook her head and flicked her eyes around the room again the shrill tone was beginning to hurt her ears, all she wanted to do was throw the small device against the wall, and yet she couldn't find the source of the sound.

She flinched as the tone shifted and an unfamiliar voce met her ears, complaining about not bringing a pen, of all things. How can you forget a pen at school? She glanced back at her brother, and was surprised to find him staring out the window, confusion clear on his face. The brunette followed his gaze and almost fell out of her chair as she realized what exactly had caught Scott's attention. A dark-haired girl, seated on one of the benches, under one of the trees at the front of the school, with a  _phone_ pressed to her ear. The pain in her shoulder intensified the longer she attempted to listen to the conversation between the girl and the woman on the other end of the line.

Sarah purposefully turned her head from the window and gripped the desk with her uninjured hand tightly. There was no way that she was actually  _listening_ to a conversation that was happening outside, over one hundred meters away- it just wasn't possible.  _That's what you said about werewolves,_ a niggling voice whispered darkly in the back of her mind. Werewolves? She gritted her teeth.  _Something_  was happening to her- to both of them, and it all boiled down to the same point- the bite they'd both received.

The brunette was so deep in her thoughts she barely noticed as the dark haired girl slipped into the seat beside her. Sarah rubbed her shoulder softly, hoping to alleviate the pain before she realized something. The man who had rescued her had taken her home, bandaged her arm and shoulder  _instead_  of to a hospital.  _Had he known what had bitten her?_  Another thought struck her, sending a cold shiver down her spine. _Had he bitten her?_ She dismissed that thought almost as soon as it came into her mind. No, if he'd bitten her he wouldn't have taken her home and bandaged her wounds. But... there was another answer to that question.  _Could her Angel be the same?_

"Hey? Do you have a pen?"

Sarah looked up; the girl from the tree was leaning towards her, her pale face expectant. "I'm sorry?"

The new girl gave her an annoyed look. "Do. You. Have. A. Pen?" She repeated slowly.

Sarah scowled. What was this girl's problem? Before she could respond Scott reached over and handed the new girl a pen. The pale-skinned girl accepted it thankfully, and shot the brunette a triumphant smirk. Sarah clenched her fists tightly and glared at her star struck brother over the top of the other girl's head. This girl had been here for less than five minutes and she'd already managed to piss somebody off. Surely that was some kind of record.

The brunette rolled her shoulders back as, much to her relief, the bell rang signaling the end of her least favourite class. Sarah sighed as she gathered her stuff and stalked out of class. Her shoulder was burning, the new girl had pissed her off and she was still kinda mad at Stiles. All in all, her day had been nothing short of terrible. Yanking her locker open she shoved her stuff inside and was glad when she realized that she had a free period.

Lydia smirked from the locker beside her. Due to their last names, they'd had lockers beside each other since the seventh grade; thankfully they'd become fast friends over the years. "Somebody's having a bad day."

Sarah laughed. "Oh you have no idea."

The strawberry blonde tilted her head to the side as she watched an unfamiliar girl stroll down the hall. "That jacket is totally killer." She smiled at the dark-haired girl.

"Thanks. I'm Allison, Allison Argent." The pale girl introduced herself.

"I'm Lydia Martin. This is Sarah McCall- she's kinda cranky so I wouldn't piss her off." Lydia smirked, shooting the girl beside her an amused glance. The green-eyed girl smiled widely as Jackson walked towards them. "And this is Jackson, my boyfriend."

Allison smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Sarah just waved her hand dismissively. She wasn't exactly interested in getting to know this girl.

"So there's a party this weekend." Lydia smirked, her eyes lighting up. The brunette beside her grinned, She loved a good party, and Lydia threw the best ones.

"Yeah." Jackson added. "It's on Friday night, you should come!" He glanced at Sarah. "You however, are welcome to stay home."

"Jackson!" Lydia growled.

"Not bloody likely asshole." Sarah snapped.

"Uh." Allison paused, glancing between the three uncertainly. "Friday night is family night."

"Great!" Sarah replied sarcastically. "I hope you have a wonderful night."

Allison's eyes turned to steel. "I'll be there."

"Everyone's going after the game." Jackson grinned at the girl who'd managed to piss off the female McCall beside him.

"You mean like football?" Allison questioned.

Sarah shook her head as Jackson replied. "Football's a joke here. No, the sport here is Lacrosse. We've won the State Championships three years in a row."

"Whittemore here is the Captain." The brunette jabbed her thumb in the general direction of the arrogant boy.

Lydia gripped Jackson's bicep proudly. "Tryouts are in a few minutes. You should come!"

"Speaking of tryouts. I've gotta go." Jackson mumbled, before kissing Lydia's cheek and waving to the small group of girls over his shoulder.

* * *

"So." Lydia smirked as she sat down, unlinking her arm from Sarah's. "You're from San Fran Cisco?" She asked Allison.

The pale girl nodded. "Uhhuh, but I've moved around my whole life." She grinned. "I used to live in Paris."

"Oh wow." The green-eyed girl gushed. "What was that like? I spent my summer in Rome, it was beautiful!"

Sarah happily tuned the two girls out. She'd grown up in Beacon Hills, and she'd never even left America. It didn't bother her, she loved the place she'd grown up in- perhaps one day she'd travel, but not anytime soon. Could she even travel anymore? She rubbed her side, suddenly uncomfortable. She was certain what had happened the previous night, but felt that something inexplicable had shifted, something had changed, and she wasn't quite sure what it would mean for her future.

"Who is that?" Allison asked the girl beside her.

"Him?" Lydia shrugged. "I'm not sure who he is." She peered at him closely. "Hey, isn't that your brother?" She asked Sarah.

The brunette nodded. "Yep. That's my Scott." She smirked. "Lacrosse extraordinaire."

"Seriously?" Allison gaped. " _He's_  your brother?"

"Twin."

"Excuse me?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "He's my twin."

Lydia smirked. "Got a crush Allison?"

"He's in my Modern World History class." The dark-haired girl grinned.

As Coach Finstock blew his whistle, signaling the start of tryouts Sarah barely resisted the urge to clap her hands over her ears as the shrill sound threatened to burst her eardrums. She gritted her teeth and searched for her twin in the crowd of players and noticed that he'd actually covered his ears.  _Had she actually heard Allison's conversation earlier? Was it even possible?_

The brunette smothered a laugh as a lacrosse ball smacked Scott on the faceplate of his helmet sending him sprawling onto the ground.

Lydia grinned beside her. "Oh I remember him now."

Sarah snickered. "He's hard to forge- what!" She shot to her feet in shock. "Did he just catch that?" She asked the still seated girl beside her.

"Uhhuh." The green-eyed girl gaped.

The brunette watched in silent shock as Scott caught the next three balls in quick succession. She snapped out of it as he caught the fourth ball with ease. "Woooh! Go Scott!" She yelled pumping her fist in the air.

Allison spoke up beside her. "He seems like he's pretty good."

"Yeah very good." Lydia agreed shocked.

Scott bounced on the balls of his feet, encouraged by the shouting of the crowd that had gathered to watch the tryouts. Jackson glared at the boy in goals from the end of the line and shoved his way to the front, using is lacrosse stick as a barrier to stop the next player in the line up.

"Oh god." Both McCall's' muttered.

Jackson sprinted towards the goals, swung the racket back and flung the ball towards the net. Scott stepped to the side and caught the ball, a shocked grin forming on his face as he did.

Stiles screamed, jumping up from his place on the bench and shouting for joy. Scott had done it! "Yeah! That is my friend!" He yelled triumphantly. He turned to look at the bleachers and caught Sarah's eye. Their Scotty had finally done it. He was going to make first line.

* * *

"I don't know what it was." Scott explained as he, Stiles and Sarah trudged through the Preserve. They'd decided- translation being that  _Scott_ had decided- that they should come back to the Beacon Hills Preserve and search for the inhaler before their Mom got home from her over night (almost twenty-four hour) shift at the hospital. "It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball!"

Sarah sighed. "I know this is going to sound weird but have you been hearing-"

"Things that we shouldn't be able to hear?" Scott nodded. "This morning in history I could have sworn I heard-"

"The new girl's phone call, while she was outside under the tree? Same."

"Can you smell the-"

"Mint mojito gun in his pocket." Sarah finished, jabbing her thumb towards Stiles.

"Woah. Okay Fred and George." Stiles muttered as he watched the verbal tennis match between them. "What do you mean mint mojito gum in my..." He looked down in shock as he pulled out a small packet of gum from his pocket. "Pocket." He finished amazed. "How did you?"

The twins smirked and high-fived. Sarah tapped her nose as an explanation.

Stiles shook his head. "Uh uh. No way. It's not possible."

"What if it's like an infection?" Scott mused. His eyes widened. "What if our bodies are just flooding with adrenalin and we're going to go into shock or something?"

"You know what. I think I've heard of this. It's a specific kind of infection." Stiles replied steadily.

"What?" Scott demanded.

"Lycanthropy."

Sarah smothered a laugh. There was no way they were turning into werewolves. This wasn't Hollywood, their life wasn't a movie and werewolves most definitely didn't exist.  _Right?_

"What's that? Is that bad?"

"Oh yeah it's the worst." Stiles continued keeping his face blank from emotion. "But only once a month. On the night of the full moon." At Scott's confused expression he faked a howl. "Awooooooooo!"

"Damn it Stiles! I thought you were serious!" Scott cried. "There could be something really wrong with us!" He gestured between himself and his sister.

"I know!" Stiles laughed. "You're werewolves! Okay, okay!" He dodged another of Scott's half-assed swipes. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But if you see me in shop class melting all the silver I can find, it's because Friday's a full moon."

"You know what Scott, he's actually kinda funny." Sarah smirked. "I think we should kill him last. You know, saving the best and all that."

Stiles eyes widened. "I was kidding about the silver I promise."

Sarah grinned. "And I was kidding about saving you till last."

"I could have sworn this was it. The deer came running, I saw the body down there, and I dropped my freaking Inhaler." Scott groaned. "Sare, this is it right?"

"Uhhuh." She responded softly.

"Maybe the killer moved the body." Stiles offered as Scott searched the ground.

"If he did I hope he left my Inhaler. Those things are like eighty bucks!"

Sarah shut her eyes tightly as she looked at the log not twenty feet from where she was standing. The crimson eyes- the pain in her arm- the crunching of leaves- the blood- her blood- She pitched forwards unexpectedly as the flashbacks became too much, she closed her eyes tighter as she braced herself for the impact of the fall- what she didn't expect was the warm, muscular body that caught her effortlessly. Blue met green as her eyes shot open.

"I got you."

The brunette couldn't believe it. He was  _real_. Her Angel. The one who'd saved her was real. There were so many things she wanted to ask him- why- how- what- but her vocal cords were frozen. She had so many questions and yet had no idea what to say to him.

"Sarah have you found any... thing?" Stiles gaped at the sight of his best friend in the arms of Derek Hale.  _When the heck had he come back to town?_ The brunette thought wearily. He'd seen the aftermath of the fire that destroyed Derek's home, he'd read the case file (not that his father knew that, or ever would know that)- and he'd come to one conclusion. Bad things happened around Derek Hale.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?" Scott growled menacingly as he stepped towards the unfamiliar male holding his sister.

Sarah reluctantly pulled herself from her Angel's (or Demon's, she hadn't yet decided) arms. "I'm fine Scott, I just tripped again." She looked up catching the barely there glimpse of curiosity in his eyes. They were darker than she expected, but they were still such a vibrant green that she could have happily stayed there all-day and stared into their almost intensely cold depths.

"What are you doing here? Huh? This is private property." His voice was rough, any yet; she believed that he could sweet talk a nun into taking her clothes off and dancing upon a church altar completely naked.

"Erhm. Sorry man. We didn't know."

Scott fixed the dark-haired man with a dark glare. "We were just looking for something. It doesn't matter."

Sarah watched transfixed as her Angel pulled Scott's Inhaler out of his pocket and gently placed in into her injured hand. His fingers ghosted over the bandages- checking- feeling- making sure everything was healing like it should. "Be safe." He whispered.

She blinked and he was gone. Scott rushed to her side and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He hesitantly reached for his Inhaler.

"I'm fine Ty." She whispered. "We better get going. You've got to get to work."

"Sare-"

"I'm alright. Okay?" She touched his cheek softly. "I'm alright."

"Promise?"

Sarah smiled and held out her pinky finger. Scott linked it with his with a grin. "I promise."

"Guys." Stiles broke in, changing the subject with ease. "Do you know who that was? That was Derek Hale!" He slipped his arm around Sarah's waist as Scott did the same from the other side. "You remember right? He's only a few years older than us."

"Remember what?" Scott asked curiously.

"His family?" Stiles explained incredulously. "They all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago!"

"I wonder what he's doing back?" Scott mumbled.

 _Derek,_ Sarah thought, her whole body electrified by the simple touch to her hand. She sucked in a breath.  _His name is Derek._

* * *

Sarah sighed as she heard the front door slam shut, meaning that Scott had finally left for work. The brunette rolled off her bed and walked into her en-suite. She stopped in front of the large mirror and pulled the thin strap of her tank top down so she'd have full access to the square bandage that completely covered her shoulder. She'd changed into her pajamas as soon as she'd gotten home, preferring the comfort of her loose pink cotton shorts to the fashionable jeans she'd been wearing for the majority of the day.

Fumbling with the knot behind her neck from the sling she growled impatiently and yanked it over her head, throwing it to the floor beside her as soon as she'd freed her arm. Sarah tentatively peeled the corner of the thick bandage half way down. Her eyes widened and she pulled the rest of the bandage down harshly. The once mangled skin on her shoulder was clear and unblemished- not a single scar in sight. Her wide eyes flicked to her wrist... was it possible that the bone in her arm had healed too? She tugged at the bandage, unraveling it awkwardly with her left hand. The revealed skin was bruised and swollen but as she wearily touched her wrist she realized that the bone in her arm had almost completely knitted back together.

The brunette wrenched the tank top over her head and turned around, attempting to look at her back in the mirror. All the scratches she'd received last night had completely healed. Sarah stared down at her hands- absently she noticed that they were shaking.  _What's happening to me?_

She left her bathroom in a daze. Her mind had stopped processing what was going on; vaguely she realized that she was probably in shock. The blue-eyed girl picked up her phone and hit speed dial.

"This is Stiles."

 _Huh,_  she realized.  _Number three is Stiles._ "I don't know what's happening to me."

> _"Sare?" He questioned hesitantly. "Sarah?"_

"I think- there's- there's something happening to me." Sarah stuttered.

> _"Calm down Sare! Use your words!" Stiles exclaimed. As soon as she'd called he'd known something was wrong. She sounded disorientated, scared and confused- three things that Sarah McCall never was._

"My arm- and- and my shoulder." She took a deep breath. "They've healed?"

> _"Not possible." Stiles rebuked._

Sarah scowled. "You've been saying that all freaking day Stiles!" She responded, her voice beginning to rise. "And I've been telling you all day that this stuff is real and you **_still_**  refuse to believe me!"

> _"Sare-"_

"If you don't want to help me then you can just fuck off!" The brunette spat, her temper flaring.

> _"Come on sorellina, calm down." Stiles sighed. "I don't know what to believe. It's just... it all seems so far-fetched. I mean-"_

Sarah slid down the wall into a tight ball and wrapped one arm around her knees. "I understand." The brunette sighed. "I- I'm scared Stiles."

>   _Stiles unconsciously mimicked her position on the other end of the line. "I know baby. Maybe you just need a good nights sleep."_

"I don't know if I can sleep."

>   _He frowned- Sarah was the kind of girl who could sleep anytime, anywhere. For her not to be able to sleep- He shook his head. That line of thoughts wasn't good. "Do you want a lullaby?"_

Sarah laughed shakily. "Only if it comes from your iPod."

> _"Fair call." Stiles snorted. "Hey," He whispered. "Everything is going to be alright. I promise. We'll talk in the morning, yeah?"_

"Yeah." The blue-eyed girl mumbled. "Goodnight Sti."

> _"Goodnight Sare."_

* * *

Crystal blue eyes snapped open as a frigid gust of air swept over her body effectively waking her from her slumber. Her scream echoed through the Reserve as she finally processed where she was. Sarah shot to her feet- her skin was crawling, she'd never slept walked a day in her life- and yet here she was, practically naked in the middle of the woods. She shivered, her teeth chattered and her whole body shook.  _What is wrong with me?_

The brunette wrapped her shaking arms around her bare torso took an unstable step forward. Her feet hurt, and she knew it was probably because she'd been running wild all night. Sarah cried out as her ankle rolled and her knees crashed into the ground. Tears formed in her eyes. What had she done to deserve this?

The crunching of leaves caused her to look up. A blackened house loomed in the distance-  _The Hale House_  she realized absently. It was dark and broken- a shadow of something that was once beautiful. Her cobalt eyes were drawn to the imposing figure that knelt beside her gracefully- he was just like the blackened house... cold, broken and oh so empty.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-" She shook her head. "I don't know how-"

Her Angel sighed. "You don't know what's happening." She nodded. "You were bitten."

Sarah's eyes gleamed with accusation. "Did you do this to me? Did you- did you turn me into- into this?"

"No."

"Then who did?" She cried. "I'm going insane! I can hear things over a hundred meters away- I can smell things I shouldn't be able to- I slept walked over twelve kilometers! There's something wrong-"

Derek gripped her arms. "You're not insane, and there is nothing wrong with you. The thing that bit you was an Alpha- you're transitioning."

"Transitioning?" Sarah retorted disbelievingly. "No- what you're saying- it can't- it  _can't-_ Werewolves aren't real! They're not real!"

"Hey." Derek barked. "Look at me. Look at me! Am I real?" Sarah nodded. "I am real. We're the same.  _You_  were bitten.  _I was born_."

"Y-you?"

He nodded. "Yes, me."

"Why did you save me?" She whispered hugging her chest.

Derek sat back and propped his hands on top of his knees. "You reminded me of someone I once knew. I couldn't just leave you there."

Sarah smiled sardonically. "My very own guardian angel."

He laughed bitterly. "I'm far from angelic." The dark-haired man stood up and brushed his dark washed jeans down. He held out his hand. "Come on. I'll give you a lift home."

 _Maybe he was a Demon_ The brunette thought as she grasped his hand, marveling at the smooth callouses that covered them. _But she'd take the Devil over an Angel every day of the week._  "How do you know where I live?"

"I didn't." He pulled her upwards easily. "I followed your scent."

Sarah shivered. Now that she was standing she was consciously aware of exactly how much clothing she was wearing. Her black sports bra and cotton shorts didn't do much to hide her modesty. Derek stared down at the smaller girl, he hadn't realized how little she was actually wearing. He shrugged off his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders without a word. Sarah shoved her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up feeling instantly warmer as she put her hands in the pockets.

"Thank you." She whispered.

Derek nodded. He glanced at the smaller girl out of the corner of his eye as he slowly led her towards his Chevrolet Camaro. She seemed so small, his jacket almost dwarfed her, her slim frame completely hidden by the worn leather. His eyes lingered for just a little too long at her tanned legs, before averting his eyes quickly. And yet, despite the dirt that covered her and the dark rims around her eyes she was still beautiful. He shook his head and opened the passenger door, gesturing for her to get inside. They were dangerous thoughts.

Sarah moved to step into the car, but at the last moment she paused and turned back around to face him. "Why are you helping me?"

His green-eyes were almost fierce as he replied. "Because you need me."

Sarah bit her lip. Did she need him? Did she need this perfect stranger in her life? Her real life Demon? The answer hit her like a ton of bricks. Without him, she'd still be broken and bleeding in the middle of the woods, like a Grimm Brothers' fairytale gone horribly wrong. The real life Little Red Riding Hood who'd got hers at the claws of the Big Bad Wolf.

He'd saved her life.

Nodding to herself he she ducked into the car, her legs sliding across the soft interior-  _leather again_ she noticed wryly. Sarah pulled the door shut and watched as he sat comfortably in the seat beside her. The engine roared to life and they were soon speeding down the road in a semi-comfortable silence. Her blue-eyes followed his every movement, from the way the muscles in his arms rippled as he turned the steering wheel to his obvious relaxation as he drove at speeds that would have given her mother a heart attack. He was kind of beautiful she realised.

All too soon they pulled into the driveway of her two-story house. She paused. The second she stepped over the threshold of her house was the minute she'd have to accept her new reality. Sarah pulled the jacket tighter around her body. She'd just kicked her old habit... was she really ready for a new one?

"Nothing will ever be the same, will it?"

"No. Derek answered. "Your life and your brother's life... they'll never be the same."

* * *

She was over three hours late to school by the time she'd finished scrubbing off the last of the dirt that had accumulated on her skin throughout the night. But luckily for her she'd only missed Modern World History (which she hated and tried to avoid at all costs whilst still maintaining a near perfect G.P.A) and now had a free period. She smiled. The lacrosse field beckoned. Despite the yelling and grunting of the Lacrosse players, she enjoyed the cool breeze and odd tranquility that the bleachers offered her. Sitting down she rested the side of her head against the cool metal bars at the end of the bleachers and shut her eyes. 

"So, your brother- how weird is that in all the years we've known each other I've never actually talked to him- has gotten a date with the new girl." Lydia babbled as she gracefully sat beside her.

"Wait- Scott is going on a date with  _Allison_?" Sarah scowled distastefully.

"Wow, say it like you mean it." Lydia laughed, "What did she even do to you? Did she sleep with your boyfriend or stab you in the eye cause I'm getting some mixed vibes here."

Sarah stared at the strawberry blonde incredulously. "I don't even know how to reply to that Lyds."

"Then don't." The green-eyed girl smirked. "When's Eri home?"

"Sunday. How is it that everyone but Stiles, Scott and I left the country this summer?" She groaned.

The girl beside her laughed. "Oh sweetheart. Like you'd want to leave, you love it here."

Sarah laughed loudly as she pulled her vibrating phone out of her pocket. Lydia grinned and gestured for her to answer it. "Hello?"

> " _We have a problem."_

"Stiles," She smirked. "I should have known."

> " _I overheard my Dad on the phone-"_

"Jesus Sti, you've got to stop doing that-"

> " _Listen to me! The fiber analysis came back from the lab in L.A, they found animal hairs on the body from the woods!"_

Sarah's eyes scanned the field, searching for her friend. She stood up, waving off Lydia's concerned glance and moved further away from the bleachers where she wouldn't be over heard. "Stiles, what's wrong?"

> " _The animal hairs from the body- they came from a wolf."_

The brunette's legs nearly buckled beneath her. Here was the proof she was asking for- the unwanted, but somewhat expected truth of the matter. She turned as a loud cheer erupted behind her, from what she could hear, Scott had just made the team. "There's something else Sti."

> " _What?"_

Sarah sighed. "That lycanthropy joke? It just got real."

* * *

"Hey kiddo." Melissa leant against the doorframe with a soft smile as she watched her little girl stand in front of her full-length mirror. "You know, I could have sworn I told you to stop doing that."

Sarah turned to face her mum. "Stop doing what?"

The older woman strode forward and wrapped her daughter in a tight hug. "Growing up on me. It's not fair- I'm too hot to have two sixteen year olds!"

Both brunettes laughed loudly, their eyes sparkling as their giggles reverberated around the room.

"So, is this a party or a date?" Melissa asked after she'd recovered from her laughter.

"Well, it's a party for me." She glared towards her brother's open door. "It's a  _date_  for him."

"Sarah!" The brunette grimaced at Scott's annoyed tone- if he got too angry, he'd refuse to give her a lift to no matter what their mum insisted.

Melissa grinned recognising the tell-tale signs in her daughter. "You don't like her?"

Sarah glanced at her mother. "No. She's a bitch."

"And," The older woman started, "How long did it take for you to decide this Sarah Anne?"

"Thirty seconds." The brunette mumbled.

"Yes that's what I thought." Melissa laughed. "Have fun tonight okay? But be home at a reasonable hour." She kissed her daughter's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow morning okay kiddo?"

Sarah nodded and hugged her mum tightly. "Love you Mumma."

"I love you too baby girl."

The brunette watched with as her mum strode out of the room. Her mum meant everything to her. After all, apart from Scott, she was all she had. So how could she tell her that everything she loved about her baby girl was changing into some _thing_  else? Sarah shook her head sharply. Now was not the time to think about it. She frowned at her reflection. Despite the strategically placed make-up, the bags under her eyes were still prominent. She sighed, wondering if the bags beneath her eyes would ever leave her... at least everyone was used to them. Nothing really had changed.

"You ready to go?"

Sarah looked up to find Scott leaning against her door with a grin on his face. "As I'll ever be."

* * *

They arrived at Lydia's party with Allison in tow, much to Sarah's disgust. Scott had relegated her to the backseat, claiming that since Allison was a guest, she should get the front. Hoping to avoid an argument with her brother, she'd grudgingly agreed. However after watching the pale-faced girl practically throw herself at Scott, she'd been left feeling awkward and increasingly uncomfortable.

Lydia had barely looked away from Jackson long enough to smirk at her and point her towards the undoubtedly spiked punch, knowing that after spending so much time with the new girl she'd be in need of some serious liquid courage in order to get her through the night. She'd poured herself a large glass and skulled it, waiting patiently to feel the effects. She was disappointed however, by the next comment from an increasingly familiar voice.

"I hate to tell you this, but you can't actually get drunk anymore."

Sarah turned her exasperated eyes towards the newcomer. "You've got to be kidding."

Derek smirked. "Wish I was."

"Aren't you a little old for high school parties?" She asked wryly as she grabbed another glass of punch, she was pretty sure that he was at  _least_  twenty-one... only a measly five-year age gap between them.  _Nothing too major_  she thought sarcastically. Tossing back the remainder of her glass she, immediately refilled it and turned to Derek. If she was going to play with fire drinking the alcohol, then she might as well get burned by something with a little more _sting._

"Probably." He shrugged and his eyes trailing the curve of her hips and down her legs. "But I needed to talk to you."

"Then talk." Sarah paused. "Actually no." Dropping her drink on the table she held out her hand. "Dance with me."

Derek shook his head. "You shouldn't be here." He pointed towards the clouded sky. "It's a full moon."

Sarah turned her back on him. "Are you going to dance with me or not Hale?" She asked over her shoulder.

"I-"

The brunette stepped towards him, intentionally pressing her body flush against his as she whispered in his ear. "One dance." She pulled his hands forward to rest on her hips and slowly twined her arms around his neck. "The moon will wait."

Derek flicked his eyes upwards searching for the moon in the sky however before he could find it the girl in his arms distracted him. The tips of her fingers lightly traced patterns on the back of his neck, he involuntarily pulled her closer as she did. How long had it been since someone had been this close to him?  _Too long_ he realized. The brunette smirked up at him, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her hips. They swayed to the beat of the music, Derek swung her out and back in lightly, the natural grace he possessed as a werewolf making it easy to manoeuver around the drunken and grinding students that littered the dance floor.

"You're enjoying this." Sarah whispered, as she was pulled closer to the older man once more.

He smirked. His hand was splayed across the small of her back and he had to admit, he liked her being this close. "Perhaps."

She laughed lightly, her eyes wandering the party. She easily spotted Lydia- the strawberry blonde was pressed up against a wall, her legs wrapped tightly around her boyfriend looking thoroughly undignified as Jackson's hands roamed up and down her body. Danny was next, standing casually beside the drinks table chatting to a boy she didn't recognize. The brunette rolled her eyes as she glanced at the dazed expression her brother was sporting. Of course he'd like  _her._ She deliberately looked away from her brother, turning her head to the sky. Sarah realized her mistake as her cobalt eyes caught sight of the full moon. Her whole body seized, causing Derek to growl as he too turned his gaze to the sky.

"I fucking  _told_ you." He ground out.

The older man tightened his grip on her waist and purposefully walked her to the door. Sarah lost sight of Scott in the crowd, she knew she shouldn't leave him alone, not tonight of all nights, but she could barely control herself. How was she supposed to help him too? Derek led her to the Camaro, opening the door swiftly and bodily picking her up and placing her in the seat. She'd regained feeling in her limbs, but with that feeling came the animalistic urge to hunt, to kill whatever she could sink her teeth into.

Her hands clenched, her fingernails elongating dangerously. "Lock me up!" She hissed, her eyes watering from the pain.

Derek nodded and didn't ask questions; instead he pressed his foot harder on the gas. "I know a place."

* * *

Stiles had watched in horror as his best friends scattered from the party like glass from a shattered windowpane. He'd watched as Derek led Sarah away barely ten minutes after her arrival, and was shocked to watch him offer Allison a lift home not half an hour later after Scott's apparent anxiety attack. The brunette pulled up to the McCall house, and cut off the engine of his precious blue jeep. His hands shook as he flicked through his key ring, glad for once that he'd gotten a key of Melissa all those years ago.

He took the stairs two at a time and narrowly avoided tripping over his own feet in his haste to get to Scott's bedroom. He banged on the door frantically. "Scott! It's me, let me in!" Stiles yelled through the door. "I can help!"

"No listen!" Scott groaned. "You've got to find Sare and Allison."

"Allison's fine she got a lift home from the party." Stiles swallowed nervously. "I don't know where Sare is- I lost track of her after-"

"Stiles! If I'm turning then so is Sarah! You need to find her! I know who did this to us!"

"Look, just let me in so we can talk!" The brown-eyed boy yelled.

Scott groaned in pain. "It's Derek! Derek Hale's the werewolf! He's the one that bit us. He's the one that killed the girl in the woods!"

"Scott." Stiles whispered as his blood turned to ice. "Derek's the one who gave them a ride." He jumped as he heard a dull thud from inside the room. "Scott?" He hesitantly pushed the door open. His eyes widened in horror as Scoot jumped off the window ledge. "Scott!" Stiles threw himself forward, arm out-stretched, hoping, and praying that he could catch Scott before he hit the ground. The brunet's eyes widened as he watched Scott land effortlessly on the ground, his hand splashing into the water beside him. Stiles shuddered as Scott stared back up to him, his golden eyes glinting in the full moon.

A howl ripped through the air causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. Everything had changed.

* * *

Scott tore through the forest, completely giving over to his instincts as he followed the familiar scent of his sister through the darkness. His eyes darkened in animalistic rage as he spotted a sleek black Camaro that was almost drowning in both the scent of his sister and his almost girlfriend, Allison. He jumped, landing on the roof with a clatter and growled when he found the shiny car empty. A fresh scent wafted towards him and he stiffened.  _Sarah?_  He thought vaguely through his anger-induced haze. He leapt from the roof of the car and onto the ground, sending dried leaves in every direction as he followed the trail she'd left behind.

His eyes narrowed in anger as he spotted Sarah's blazer hanging inconspicuously from a tree, not fifty meters away. Scott growled as a new scent hit him like a freight train. "Hale." He spat. "Where are they!" The brunette yelled as the older man stepped out of the shadows, his azure eyes glowing as he stared at Scott.

"Safe." Derek responded loudly. Despite being older, stronger, faster and more experienced than the newborn Beta, Derek was still just that. A Beta. He was strong, yes, borne Werewolves naturally were, but he couldn't command Scott to do anything. He could help him, he could help them both, but he couldn't stop them. Not without the power of an Alpha.

"Where's my sister? Where's Allison!"

"Safe." The black-haired man smirked. "Far away from you."

Scott growled and lunged towards the older male- he was caught off guard however, when Derek did the same sending them tumbling backwards through the underbrush. The dark-haired man threw his full weight onto Scott as he caught the scents of multiple people.  _Argent Hunters_ he thought maliciously. "Quiet." He ordered, pulling Scott into a reluctant crouch as he did. Derek's azure eyes swept the darkened forest quickly and narrowed as he spotted the Hunter's dangerously close to their hiding spot. "Too late, they're already here! Run!"

The brunette stumbled as Derek pushed him out of the line of fire harshly, and into the darkness. Scott struggled to regain his footing and was sent reeling as an arrow, of all things, exploded into light as it hit the tree beside him. Blinded, he didn't expect the next arrow that shot straight through his shoulder, effectively pinning him to the tree behind him. Distantly he heard a muttered curse and rubbed his stinging eyes furiously with his uninjured arm as he heard the crunching of leaves.

"Take him." The voice was unfamiliar and had an edge of steel to it that made the sixteen-year-old nervous.

Scott blinked his eyes clearing momentarily, allowing him the clarity to see as the three men were thrown to the ground- giving Derek the precious time he needed to free the younger boy from the arrow. He ripped the arrow from Scott's arm without mercy, causing the shorter boy to groan in pain. "Run." Derek hissed and took off into the darkness- Scott followed without further prompting.

"Who, were they?" Scott demanded as Derek glided to a stop meters in front of him. The younger boy slumped against a tree, his energy spent and his arm burning.

"Hunters. They've been hunting  _our_  kind for centuries." The now green-eyed man responded grimly.

"Our kind?" Scott yelped disbelievingly. "You mean you! You did this to me!"

"Is it really so bad Scott? That you can see better, hear more clearly, move faster than any human could ever hope? You've been given something that most people would kill for! The bite is a gift." Derek lectured, his temper spiking at Scott's insolence.

"What about my sister? Huh? What did you do to her?"

"Nothing." He snapped. "Your sister came to me. Like it or not, I helped her, and I'll do the same for you if you would just let me help!"

"I didn't want this." Scott growled. "And I don't want your help."

"You will. You're going to need me if you want to learn how to control it. So you and me Scott?" Derek gestured between them, his face stony as he glared at the younger Beta. "We're brothers' now."

* * *

 Sarah awoke to the gentle clinking of chains as she unfurled herself from the uncomfortable position she'd found herself in. The smell of blood was rich in the air- over the course of the night she'd rubbed her wrists raw thanks to the steel shackles that bound her firmly to the wall.

"Are you okay?"

The brunette looked up. She hadn't even heard him come in but now found herself staring up into the surprisingly concerned green-eyes of Derek Hale. She nodded as he bent down to examine her wrists. His hands were surprisingly gentle as he released the bindings, letting them fall to the ground with a clatter.

"Laura was the same after her first few transformations." Derek spoke absently, grinning in remembrance. "She was a 'late bloomer', didn't turn until she was fourteen. She always insisted on being chained up. Said it made her feel safer, and the bloody wrists were the price to pay for having a shred of humanity." He stood up pulling her with him softly, a cool mask setting back over his features as he let her arms fall to her sides smoothly. "They'll heal within the next few hours."

"Thank you." Sarah whispered softly, refusing to comment on the information he'd just given her. Her mind however was spinning.  _Who was Laura?_  She thought absently."Does it go away?" Derek looked mildly perplexed at her question. "The urge to…" She trailed off, hoping he'd catch her meaning.

"Kill?" He finished, his eyes hard. "In a way it does. It's not hard to tap into but, eventually, you can control the more animalistic impulses."

Sarah swallowed thickly. "Will you help me to control it? The urges, the wolf, everything?" She realized exactly how desperate her voice had become and made no move to hide it- she needed his help. "Help me to control it."

The twenty-one year old stared at the brunette intensely. She and Scott may be twins, but unlike her brother, Sarah was unafraid to ask for help or accept it. It was disconcerting to realize exactly how much trust she'd placed in him already- more than anyone had placed in him in years. "You're not what I expected."

"I'm sorry?" The brunette asked confused. "What do you mean?"

Derek shook his head, not ready to explain the truckload of baggage that trailed behind him. "Never mind. C'mon, I'll give you a lift home."

The hilarity of the entire situation seemed to fall on her all at once, and couldn't stop the giggle that fell from her lips. His bemused expression just made her laugh harder, it was a somewhat odd expression on him, and she had to admit, it rather suited him.

"Care to enlighten me?" Derek asked befuddled.

"It's just," Sarah giggled again. "You've sort of become my personal chauffer."

He scowled minutely, before his face morphed into a smirk. "Well, in that case, you can start paying."

Sarah grinned, finally overcoming the giggles. "Whatever you say Mr. Hale."

* * *

The brunette trudged up stairs to her bedroom and collapsed, face first onto her bed, groaning in satisfaction as she felt the tension in her back decrease and her strained muscles relax. The wounds on her wrists had already begun to close over, although she would have to wear a long sleeved top for the rest of the day.

Her peace was interrupted suddenly, as her bedroom door was slammed open with enough force to dent the wall behind it. She glanced up tiredly- the aggravated expression her twin was currently sporting was enough for her to shut her eyes and determinedly bury her face in her pillow.

"What? So you can't even look at me now?" Scott demanded as he glared at his younger sister.

"Well," Sarah began, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I was hoping that if I wished hard enough and pretended that you weren't in my room, disturbing my attempts to sleep, that you'd eventually leave me alone."

He swallowed a growl. "I don't think so! Where were you last night? Huh? I was so worried!"

"You're my brother, not my keeper Scott."

Scott strode towards his sister, the glare still firmly in place and jumped onto the bed, bouncing on the mattress. Sarah groaned and swatted his legs tiredly before rolling over to face him when she realized that her attempts were futile.

"What?" She groaned, shielding her eyes from the sunlight that streamed through her window.

He smirked and plopped down beside her, happy that he'd gotten her full attention. She was obviously tired, worn out from the night they'd had he supposed. His eyes wandered her body, searching for injuries. He growled as he spotted her red raw wrists.

"What are these?" Scott demanded as he examined her wrists gingerly.

Sarah shrugged. "Wrists?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

She sighed. "I was chained to a wall. Apparently this is what happens when you fight against shackles all night."

"He chained you up?" Scott asked dangerously.

"Yes, because I asked him to."

The older brunette growled. "You shouldn't trust him."

"Who I trust is none of your business. You're not my keeper."

Scott laughed harshly. "You know, you keep saying that, but at least I give a fuck about you."

"Fuck off Scott." Sarah snapped, finally at the end of her patience with her brother. Scott growled and stood up.

"I'm just trying to help!"

Sarah flipped him off and pulled the bed covers around her. "Well you're doing a great job of that now aren't you?" She sighed wearily and flopped back against her pillows. "Just leave me alone Scott."

"Fine!"

"And shut the door behind-" The door slammed hard enough to rattle the doorframe. "You." She finished with a huff. Things were changing- between her and Scott especially. There hadn't been this much tension between them in years.  _Yes,_  she thought wryly as she shut her eyes.  _Things were definitely changing._ She'd just have to wait to see if those changes would be for the better.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed this, leave me a kudos (which I'm guessing is similar to a like) or a comment (I love criticism, good, bad and ugly) just tell me what ya'll think!


	2. Second Chance at First Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No," Derek whispered, his voice smooth, melodic and all together terrifying as he stepped closer. "That's not sympathy thats causing your heart to pound and your chest to tighten... that's fear. You're afraid of me."
> 
> Raising her chin in defiance Sarah stood her ground, the fear that was seconds away from crippling her, washed away as something much more powerful filled her veins. 
> 
> Anger.
> 
> "You utter bastard." She growled, her breath leaving her body in short, sharp puffs. Her hands shook as the adrenalin flooding her bloodstream did it's job, the shift kicking everything into overdrive. "I trusted you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like most writers, I'm here to complain about how utterly hectic life has been. With exams, multiple hospital trips and graduation I haven't had a minute to breath and finish this chapter. UNTIL TODAY! Hallelujah. So I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, I don't own Teen Wolf, that honour still belongs to Jeff Davis, I'm just playing in his sandbox.
> 
> Here you'll find a bed of sarcasm, awkward humour, lust, love, and way too much danger for a bunch of sixteen-year-olds to face alone. I hope you enjoy the second instalment of Tendencies of Addiction, cause it took a ridiculous amount of time to write!

* * *

_Previously:_

_"I'm just trying to help!"_

_Sarah flipped him off and pulled the bed covers around her. "Well you're doing a great job of that now aren't you?" She sighed wearily and flopped back against her pillows. "Just leave me alone Scott."_

_"Fine!"_

_"And shut the door behind-" The door slammed hard enough to rattle the doorframe. "You." She finished with a huff. Things were changing- between her and Scott especially. There hadn't been this much tension between them in years._ Yes _, she thought wryly as she shut her eyes._ Things were definitely changing _. She'd just have to wait to see if those changes would be for the better._

* * *

  **Tendencies of Addiction**

**Chapter Two**

**Second Chance at First Line**

* * *

Stiles sighed wearily, rubbing his eyes as he flopped down on a bench in the Lacrosse locker room. He'd had an  _interesting_ morning to say the least- and that was without mentioning his beyond awful weekend. With less than three hours sleep over the course of the weekend the sixteen-year old was running on fumes and a few more tablets of Adderall than the prescribed dosage. He'd spent most of the previous night in the Jeep searching everywhere he could think of for his two best friends who'd recently come into their- umm- powers? He'd gotten a single text from Sarah close to one am saying that she was fine... but that didn't stop him worrying. Thankfully he'd almost hit Scott with his car, so at least he'd found one of them.

He'd turned up at the McCall house early that morning, only to walk in on the end of an argument between his two, apparently furious, best friends. Stiles rolled his shoulders back and scowled. He'd never seen an argument that big between them. They were weird in that regard- the McCall twins  _never_ fought. So to see an argument between them… it was shocking to say the least. He eventually pulled the entire story out of Sarah in the Jeep but he hadn't really known how exactly to react.

The lanky teen stood up, shrugged off his jacket and swiftly pulled his shirt over his head, shoving it into his locker. He rested his head on the cool metal and sighed. Things were changing. The sound of a bag dropping to the ground beside him caused him to turn around- coming face to face with his somewhat dazed best friend. Stiles slowly waved his hand in front of Scott's eyes and scowled when the brunet didn't respond.

"Scott!" He called loudly.

"Huh?"

"So which one did you apologise to? Your sister or your girlfriend?"

"Allison."

Stiles rolled his eyes, Scott always was an all or nothing kind of guy so it didn't really surprise him that he'd pushed apologising to Sarah to the wayside."So is she giving you a second chance?"

"Yeah." Scott grinned.

"Alright." Stiles muttered. "So everything is almost good."

"No."

"Well obviously. You haven't apologised to Sare yet an-"

"No." Scott mumbled again.  _He_  wasn't going to be the first to apologise. "Remember the hunters?"

"No." Stiles started sarcastically. "Why on earth would I remember the hunters that are trying to murder my best friends? Why would I remember that?"

"Her Dad is one of them."

"Her Dad?"

"Shot me."

Stiles tried to process what Scott was telling him. "Allison's Father?"

"With a crossbow." Scott's voice cracked.

Stiles opened his mouth. "Allison's Fat-"

"Yes her Father!" The brunet yelled, started to hyperventilate. "Oh my god. Oh my god. I'm gonna die-"

Stiles' eyes widened and with as much force as he could muster, slapped the brunette across the face. "Scott! Snap out of it! He- He didn't recognise you right?"

"No, no I don't think so."

He sighed. "Does she know about him?"

"I don't know." Scott's eyes widened dramatically. "Oh man. She's gonna kill me.

Stiles picked up Scott's Lacrosse gear and shoved it towards him. "Here take this, just focus on Lacrosse for now. Yeah?" Scott mumbled his agreement and Stiles' slapped his shoulder good-naturedly. The last thing they needed right now was for Scott to loose control. They reached the field just in time for them to hear coach Finstock announce that it was time for one-on-ones. Which meant Jackson with an extra long Lacrosse racket beating up anyone who tried to get past him. What a fabulous way to start a new school week.

* * *

"Greenburg! Take a lap!"

Sarah smothered a snicker as she took a seat on the steel-cold benches that overlooked the Lacrosse Field. It was a habit she'd gotten into during her freshman year whenever she had a free-period she'd go out on to the Lacrosse Field and study or if the team was practicing, she'd pretend to study and check them out over the top of her book. Despite the distractions the attractive Lacrosse players were, spending her time on the bleachers was much easier than spending her frees dealing with the cranky menopausal librarian. Lydia grinned as she took a seat beside her. They'd all elected to have their frees on the same line, which meant even if the player's weren't distraction, her two best girl friends were. The blue-eyed girl pulled out her phone as it vibrated and grinned at the name that flashed on the screen.

Lydia glanced down at the phone and gawked at the photo. "She walked up that?"

Sarah laughed. "She's the last person you'd expect to be an adrenalin junkie right?"

The strawberry blonde nodded. "When does she get home?"

Sarah shrugged and winced slightly as Jackson flattened Scott easily showing off his smooth prowess for the game. "It's her last day today, so it shouldn't be too long."

"McCall's gonna do it again. McCall's gonna do it again!"

She had so much to tell her best friend. But the real question was would she be able to the blonde the truth about what had happened? Stiles knew, but that was different, he... she paused. She couldn't lie. She'd put everyone through the ringer for the past two years, and she couldn't risk losing her best friend... not again. If the situation was right she'd tell Erica everything.

Her gaze turned back to the field. She wasn't so sure about Scott playing Lacrosse anymore. The full moon had been an eye opener, she'd seen the damage she'd done to the warehouse where she'd been chained, the links had barely held her in place. Raising their pulse was now extremely dangerous and Lacrosse was a sport designed to be a warrior's game, each match would send Scott's heart rate through the roof. Her eyes were drawn to Stiles on the bench and found a worried expression that Sarah was sure was mirrored on her own face.

"What the hell?" Lydia yelped jumping to her feet.

"Huh?" Sarah turned her eyes back to the field. Jackson was on the ground, clutching his shoulder and groaning- while Scott was not far from him, collapsed on the ground. "Oh fuck." She muttered and followed the frantic Lydia onto the grass.

She reached her brother just after Stiles. "C'mon Scott get up." She growled. "I swear to god if you don't get up... Scott get up!"

"I can't control it Stiles, its happening!" The brunette almost dropped her brother.  _Of course he'd ignore her help_  she thought angrily  _she hadn't apologized._

"What?" Stiles yelped. "Right here? Now?" He shot Sarah and apologetic glance and pulled Scott off the ground with strength she didn't know the lanky boy possessed. "Can you make sure no one saw?" He whispered.

She shot her brother a death glare before responding to Stiles. "Sure." The brown-haired girl rubbed her shoulder absently and quickly walked towards Lydia. "Is he okay Lyds?"

"No!" The strawberry blonde scowled. "Your psycho brother attacked him! He's completely ruined his shoulder!"

Sarah glanced at the boy on the ground.  _It couldn't have happened to anyone better._ She thought sarcastically. "Scott's a little  _weird_  at the moment. He uh-" The brunette stopped as her cobalt eyes drawn to an imposing figure standing on the edge of the Lacrosse field.

"Sare?"

"Huh?" Lydia drew her attention once more. "Um, I've gotta go, talk later yeah? Tell me how Jackson pulls up!" She called over her shoulder. She grabbed her messenger bag off the bleachers and slung it over her shoulder, as she walked towards him. "Derek? What are you" She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "You saw that huh?"

"He lost control."

Sarah rolled her eyes. "We have no control to lose Derek. He's just in a situation where he's more liable to lose his cool."

Derek stared at her for a moment before he replied. "If he keeps going he's going to get us all killed."

"By what?" Sarah huffed. "We're the top of the fucking food chain."

Derek rolled his eyes. "You're naive."

"And you're a dick." 

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry I thought we were stating unfounded assumptions." Sarah snapped. So far, her day wasn't exactly fabulous and he certainly wasn't making it any better.

Derek's unimpressed glare caused her bravado to shrink slightly. "This isn't a  _ **joke**_. This isn't just something you can just brush off with a sarcastic comment and a roll of your eyes! There are people who have made it their entire life's mission to drive our kind into extinction and they are  _ **here**._ "

Sarah felt her knees go weak, the edges of her vision going dark as her blood rushed to her ears. She felt the onset of something vaguely familiar, something that haunted the memories of her younger years and immediately stamped down on the growing urge to hide in the closet and cry. "W-what?" She stuttered, struggling to keep oxygen in her lungs.

"Do you communicate with your brother at all?" Derek asked, restraining himself fro throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "Scott and I were attacked by Hunters on the full moon."

"No." Sarah shook her head, her arm wrapping around her stomach in an effort to hold herself together. " _No."_

Derek stared down at the brunette. There was something slightly off about the smaller girl, her posture was stiff and she was slightly hunched over, one hand across her stomach and the other clenching and unclenching at her side. "Most Hunters' operate under a stick moral code, but don't expect them to always follow it. The code isn't infallible, Hunters are human... but where there are Werewolves, Hunters aren't far behind." He paused, watching the reaction his words had for a moment. Reaching out for her he asked; "Sarah? Are you okay?"

Sarah clutched at her throat. "I can't breathe." She gasped, fighting for a precious breath of oxygen. "He's going to get killed." The thought of losing Scott, even when she was absolutely furious at him, rendered her hopeless. He was everything in her life, even when she wanted nothing more than to hate him. "They're going to kill Scott." 

"They're going to kill all of us if he plays." Derek growled.

"I don't care about me damn it!" Sarah shouted, not caring who heard. She felt Derek grab her arm and pull her further away from the field, closer to the edge of the forest behind the bleachers. "I don't care if I die! I've been faced with dying before and I don't care, dying would be a relief." She choked on the last word, realising she'd revealed far too much. "I can't lose him."

Derek stared at her his face blank, his eyes swirling with a mess of emotions. "Don't you think it works both ways?"

Sarah lowered her head, feeling the oxygen return to her lungs, the quiet ebb of panic beginning to disappear. Everyone she loved had been faced with the possibility of her death and while they'd cried, pleaded and begged for her to stay with them... they adjusted, and would again. "Not for me."

Gently pulling her arm from his soft grip she turned, fixing her bag as she walked back onto the field. She kept her eyes low, and shoved her hands in her jean pockets as she walked away, not needing to turn around to know that he was gone, with no evidence to show that he'd even been there at all.

* * *

"Hey kiddo, late shift again for me. But, I am taking Saturday off to come watch your first game!"

It was such an odd thing to realise that no conversation in their house would ever be private again, no matter how much they wished it to be. A prime example, Sarah noted, was the conversation occurring between her Mum and brother, in his room, the floor above. It was weird she decided, being able to hear a conversation at the other end of the house as though it were happening right beside her.

Her slim fingers hovered over the ivory keys of the dark wood piano, sighing as she felt some of the tension leave her body. While Scott used Lacrosse to calm down (pre-werewolf) she used music, specifically, the Piano. Rolling her shoulders back she cracked her neck. She'd been sitting in front of the Piano for what felt like hours, every tune she played turned out melancholy, sad and confused, and she didn't feel any better now, than when she started.

The conversation between her brother and their Mum continued, taking a new angle that made her increasingly uncomfortable. "Hey, what's wrong with your eyes?" The emotion in her Mum's voice was obvious. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

She heard Scott's bead squeak as she rolled over. "It's nothing." Scott mumbled. "Just stress I guess."

"Just stress. Nothing else?" Sarah bit her lip as she heard her Mum's voice drop. "I mean it's not like you're on drugs or anything right?"

"No." Scott replied adamantly, well aware of how touchy the subject was. "No, after last year..." He trailed off and Sarah's mood fell another level, guilt flooding her body. 

"I just..." Sarah could hear the tears in her Mum's voice. "I worry you know?"

"I know Mum..." Scott whispered. "She's okay... she's still here Mum." Sarah felt tears gather at the corners of her eyes. She did this to them. "She's still our Sarah... just a little more world-weary."

Sarah heard another creak, and knew that Scott had gotten off his bed to hug their still heartbroken Mother. "When did you get so wise?" Melissa asked, her voice muffled. 

Scott sighed. "When I had to grow up."

Sarah wiped her cheeks quickly, unaware that she'd actually been crying. She listened to the rustle of clothes and knew that the conversation had come to an end. Her Mum's whispered plea for Scott to get some sleep struck a chord with her as well, they'd both been operating off less than twelve hours between them. With the full moon, the sleep walking and the arguments sleep had simply fallen to the wayside.

A kiss to the top of her head pulled her from her thoughts, turning away from the Piano she gave her Mum a small half-grin as she looked up at her. "Late shift?" She asked despite already knowing the answer.

"Not long and I'll be a fully qualified Registered Nurse." Melissa smiled absently, her mind still on the conversation she'd had with her son. "You'd tell me if something was wrong wouldn't you sweetheart?"

Sarah nodded, hating herself for the next lie she'd tell. "Yeah... I would."

Melissa wrapped an arm around her daughter. "I love you kiddo."

Sarah bit the inside of her cheek, hoping the pain would stop the tears that wanted to fall again. "I love you too Mum."

"Good." Melissa replied, pressing a kiss to the side of her daughter's head. "Food's in the fridge, it needs a minute and a half in the microwave." She paused. "Also, I'm sick of tense dinners. Go make up with your brother."

The brunette shook her head, glad for the change of subject. "Nuh-uh. He owes me an apology, not the other way 'round." 

"I don't care who owes who an apology, you two can't stay mad at each other forever, no matter how hard you try."

She would apologise to Scott, if only to end their ongoing argument. The problem wasn't that he'd lied to her (she'd done her fair share of lying over the past few years and she tried to avoid being hypocritical... key word there being _tried_ ) but that Derek was the one who'd warned her to watch her back because of the Hunter's... despite Scott having ample opportunity to do so.

"You know it's his fault right?"

Melissa rolled her eyes. "Yes. I also know I've had enough parenting for one night, so I'm going to work. Please, don't let Scott use the microwave. We can't afford to buy another one."

Sarah laughed, remembering Scott's last (and final) disasterous attempt to use the microwave, rendering it completely and utterly useless. "Have a good night Mum."

Melissa threw her hand up in the air as she walked out of the door in a vague impersonation of a wave. "Be good!

The brunette's smile fell the second the door slammed shut behind Melissa, her solemn mood returning in an instant. It hurt that Scott hadn't been the one to tell her about the Hunters', but a part of her understood. In his own misguided way, he was trying to protect her. What Scott failed to understand, was that ignorance was not bliss. Ignorance got people killed, knowledge however, was what allowed people to live past their teen years. With each step upstairs, she steeled her self for an apology she wasn't quite ready to give, but was going to anyway, if only to make her Mum happy. Stopping in front of Scott's room she took a deep breath, hoping that the extra oxygen would give her the courage she needed for this conversation. However at the sight of her older brother lounging on his bed spread, seemingly without a care in the world, any apology she'd thought up dissipated like the mist that lingered after a storm. She'd always had a temper, she'd always been quick to ignite and now, as a werewolf... it was only heightened.

"Are you just going to sit on your ass all day or are you going to tell me what happened the other night?"

Scott sat up, recognising the familiar sign of an impending explosion. "What?"

"The Hunter's Scott! You didn't think that I'd need to know? You know, before I ended up with a bullet in my chest and an arrow in my neck."

"You're being dramatic." Scott replied, not thinking before he spoke.

"Being dramatic?" Sarah screeched, "You have no fucking idea how far from dramatic I am being right now! They've dedicated their entire lives to wiping out Werewolves! And I know you're still drowning in denial and refuse to accept what you are, but just incase it escaped your notice,  ** _we are_ _Werewolves!"_**

"I know what we are Sarah!"

"Then why don't you care that our lives are in danger?" She yelled. "You're being reckless!"

"Reckless?" Scott scoffed. "Oh that is rich, coming from you."

Sarah shook her head, well aware of what he was referring to. "That's entirely different."

"Is it?" Scott questioned, his voice dropping. "You were reckless with your life... how is that different to what I'm doing?"

Sarah glared at him, her eyes cold. "Because it's not just your life on the line."

Scott scoffed. "This is about Derek! Stiles saw you talking to him on the field earlier, I guess that explains why you're acting like-."

"Acting like what Scott?" Sarah yelled. "Like the spoilt little brats we used to see at my piano recitals? Like the lives of everyone I care about are on the line because of what we are?"

"Like the whole world revolves around you!" Scott snapped.

"No Scott." She began, hardly able to comprehend Scott's resounding stubbornness when it came to their entire situation. "Apparently it revolves around you."

The brunette turned her back on him, glad that the chime of his laptop signalling an incoming Skype call cut of his predictably affronted reply. Slamming the door shut behind her so hard that the frame rattled, she heard Stiles' sarcastic greeting and offhand remark that the McCalls were finally acting like regular siblings. It was odd to be fighting with Scott, they'd presented a consistent united front since their Dad had left for the final time, but now it seemed that their pact seemed to be unravelling. It wasn't that they didn't care, they cared fiercely and completely, but the problem was they cared about opposing factors and  _that_ was what caused them to clash so spectacularly. 

Stalking into her bedroom she grabbed her door handle tightly and slammed the door shut, rolling her eyes in exasperation as the handle came off in her hand. Dropping it beside the door she raked a hand through her hair. How exactly was she supposed to explain  _that_ to her Mum? Sarah shook her head and grabbed a change of underwear, walking into the en-suite she shared with Scott. Dumping her underwear on the double vanity she locked the doors (doors plural, one that lead to Scott's room, one that opened into the hallway and the door that lead to her room) and stripped off her clothes, stepping into the shower with a relieved sigh.

The sting of the boiling water as it struck her back was equal parts pleasure and pain causing Sarah to moan as shut her eyes resting her palms above her head and forehead against the cool of the shower tiles. As she focused on the sweet sting of the water, the constant hum of voices she'd been able to hear ever since she'd been turned seemed to just fade away, until the only thing she could hear was the rush of water as it left the shower head. This was the peace she'd been craving... the blessed silence she'd been searching for. A loud bang from Scott's room stripped away her serenity and sent her plunging back into reality her eyes opening as she realised the water had long since turned cold. 

She shivered violently, up until then not having noticed the goosebumps that had popped up all over her body. Sarah grabbed a towel off the heated towel rack and wrapped it tightly around her slim frame and pulled her hair over her shoulder as she wrung it out tightly. Stepping out of the shower Sarah suppressed a flinch as her foot hit the cold tiles, once again hating that they didn't have underfloor heating. Though, she supposed even if they did have it, it wasn't like they could afford to turn it on. So either way, she would simply have to suffer through a lack of heat.

Sarah sighed. She'd hoped the water would help to release the tension, to help calm her down, but all it had managed to do was make her cold. Cold was something she was intimately familiar with. Shaking her head she wiped the condensation off the mirror and was surprised to find that she didn't look even remotely different. The dark circles under her eyes were still prominent, her skin, though tanned still held a sickly pallor that she hadn't been able to shake along with everything else. She still looked like the sixteen-year-old disaster she'd been before she was bitten.

And it comforted her beyond words.

She was still Sarah. Underneath the makeup, the bravado, the sarcasm and the anger, she was still that lost little ten-year-old who couldn't understand why her Daddy didn't love her. She pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes, attempting to banish the dangerous thoughts of her Father. Her mood darkened. If she hadn't already been having a shit night, the thoughts of her Father would have just put the cherry on top of her and Scott;s unnecessary argument. Letting the towel fall to the floor Sarah slipped into her underwear and unlocked the doors, throwing her own open wide as she stepped back into her bedroom. 

Her eyes narrowed as she immediately spotted an unexpected guest perched upon her window seat, his feet flat on the ground, his arms resting on his knees. Sarah scowled as she leant against the doorway, realising that not only had she left her towel in the bathroom, but she was practically naked and she would have to pass him to get to her dresser. 

"How the hell did you get in here?" She growled, unimpressed by his surprise visit.

Keeping his eyes on the floor Derek smirked. "I came through the door. Nice handle by the way, how exactly were you going to explain that one?"

Sarah glared at him, well aware that he could look up at any moment and get a hell of a view. "I'm not going to explain it. It'll be fixed before Mum gets home." 

Derek nodded, inadvertently catching a glimpse of Sarah's somewhat exposed body. His eyes immediately found the floor again as Sarah hurried across to her dresser, pulling on a singlet and a pair of pyjama pants. He'd seen more of her skin in the past few days than he'd seen of anyone's in the past few months and he couldn't deny that she was attractive. Drop dead gorgeous even. The allure of her being a werewolf just adding another layer to the attraction that he was finding himself hard-pressed to fight against. Derek clenched his fists. Yes, werewolves aged differently, but even then, she was a bitten werewolf, not a born werewolf which meant there were people in her life that wouldn't understand, people that couldn't comprehend the attraction between a species with heightened emotions and a perchant for mating for life. Not to mention that a relationship between an adult and a minor was illegal in the majority of states.

He glanced at the door, deciding that staying on topic would be far safer than the direction his thoughts travelled. " _You_ know how to fix a door handle."

Adjusting her top Sarah rolled her eyes. "I know how to do a lot of things Derek Hale." Glancing over her shoulder she was confused to see his head lowered until she realised that he was trying to give her back a shred of her dignity. "You can look up, I've got clothes on I promise." As she pulled her hair up into a bun she could have sworn she heard him mutter something along the lines of 'damn'. "I take it that bang was you?"

"Scott and I were having a little chat."

"You threatened him." She stated, sitting beside him on the wide window seat.

Derek nodded. "I did."

"He won't listen." Sarah replied softly. "He just wants to be normal, Lacrosse can give him that."

"He's not normal." Derek scowled. "The sooner he realises that, the better." 

Sarah didn't answer, instead opting to sit in silence, waiting for the question she knew he was struggling to ask. Out of the corner of his eye Derek studied the slim girl beside him. He'd noticed the dark bags under her eyes the other morning when she'd accidentally turned up at the manor, but he'd attributed them to lack of sleep... now, now he wasn't so sure. There could be hundreds of reasons for the bags under her eyes, for the sickly pallor to her tanned skin and a part of him didn't want to know what was wring with the girl who could have passed for a porcelain doll, but he had the nagging feeling that _knowing_ would be safer.

"Earlier you said that you don't care about dying..." Derek started, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "What could you possibly know about death?" 

Sarah stared down at her hands folded in her lap, unsure of whether she was ready to revisit the toxic past she was still trying to escape from. "Death is not extinguishing the light, it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come." The brunette stood, feeling boxed in on the window seat. She shook her head, suddenly unable to form the words. "Nothing." She answered, the lie falling from her lips far too easily. "I don't know a thing."

* * *

Sarah woke easily, from what was probably the best sleep she'd had in months, and yet, she couldn't even remember falling asleep.Rubbing her eyes blearily, she rolled over and pulled her pillow over her head, hoping for another few hours rest. The crinkle of paper beneath her head caused her to sit up, the pillow falling into her lap as she did. It was a torn page from the notebook on her nightstand, the words written on it in an unfamiliar hand.

_Sweet dreams._

A soft smile crossed her lips, the person who'd written the note unmistakeable. Maybe he really was her guardian angel. Shaking her head, Sarah placed the note on her bedside table and rolled out of bed, glad that she could forego a shower, having had one the night before. Pulling out a pair of ripped blue jeans, a black and white striped mid-rif top and and a pair of black wedge nike sneakers, she slipped them on and threw her hair up in a messy bun. Glancing at the clock on her bedside she knew she was running late for school, which was unfortunate because she had Math first and their teacher was most likely the reincarnation of Satan.

Arriving at slightly out of breath with only seconds to spare, Sarah sprinted towards Math, dropping into her assigned seat beside Stiles with a huff just as Mr. Knight stalked inside to begin the lesson. She smiled tightly at Stiles as he offered her a questioning glance, and rubbed her eyes, still tired, despite sleeping for a full six hours. Pulling out her textbook she flipped it open and stared down at the mess of numbers and letters. Whoever decided that combining the alphabet and numbers was a good idea deserved to have died a painful, painful death. Math certainly wasn't her favourite class, but she understood enough to scrape a B+/A average. The conversations around her switched between the upcoming lacrosse game, Jackson's 'injury' and the as yet still unidentified body in the woods. Unfortunately for Sarah  all of these topics were contributing to her rapidly declining mood.

"Why's there a rumor going around that you're not playing tomorrow?" Sarah's head snapped up from where it was bent over her Math book and scowled at Lydia's back. The last thing she needed was Lydia manipulating Scott into playing.

Scott shrugged. "Cause I'm sort of not."

"I think you sort of are! Especially when you brutally injured my boyfriend by ramming into him." Lydia snapped.

"Your boyfriend brutally injured himself by ramming into me." Scott replied slowly.

"Jackson's gonna play tomorrow. But he's not going to be at his peak. And I prefer my boyfriend, at peak performance."

Sarah rolled her eyes, knowing full well what Lydia meant by 'peak performance', and highly doubting that it had anything to do with his prowess on the Lacrosse field.

"Okay?" 

"I date the captain of the winning Lacrosse team and if they start off the season losing, I'm dating the captain of the losing Lacrosse team. I. do. not. date. losers." Lydia growled, enunciating the last five words forcefully.

Sarah smothered a laugh, retracting her previous statement. Lydia was a sweet girl, but Jackson brought out the absolute worst in her personality and as much as she adored Lydia... at this point in time all she wanted to do was throw her down the nearest available flight of stairs. 

"Losing one game isn't going to kill anyone. In fact it might even save someone." Scott mumbled.

The brunette let out the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. He wasn't going to play.

"Fine! Don't play. We'll probably win anyway, then we'll go out after, like we were planning and I'll introduce Allison to all the hot players on the team."

The pencil in her hand snapped, time seeming to slow as the shards of pencil hit the table with an exaggerated loudness. She felt the eyes of everyone in the room on her, her blood rushing to her ears, drowning out the voices of everyone around her. The sound of her own breath was like a shout, Stiles's attempts of catching her attention unable to penetrate the increasing soundlessness. 

"May I be excused?" Her own voice was distant and detached.

Mr. Knight nodded, his eyes narrowing on her shaky hands. Sarah stood up, abandoning her things as she practically sprinted out of the classroom heading in the direction of the nearest bathroom. Slamming the door open she stumbled towards the sinks, gripping either side of the white sink like a life line as she struggled to calm herself down. The pain in her mouth caused her to arch her head back, inadvertently catching a glimpse of her eyes in the mirror as they flickered dangerously between gold and blue. She felt the sink beginning to warp under her grip and immediately let go, dropping to her knees like a marionette who's strings had been cut, watching in growing horror as her hands began to change her fingernails painfully elongating into claws. 

Breathing deeply through the pain Sarah bit her lip, steeling herself for what she was about to do next. The brunette shut her eyes and drove her claws into her palms throwing her head back, her mouth open in a wordless scream of pain. Blood seeped from the wounds, running down her arms and dripping onto the floor. Slowly she felt herself shift back, until the only pain she felt was that of the cuts on her palms. She let out a breath, the darkness clearing from her vision, her pulse settling back into a normal rhythm and her body relaxing as she shifted back. Her eyes fell on the small pools of blood on the floor and sighed... blood stains on the floor of a high school bathroom weren't suspicious at all.

Sarah staggered to her feet, awkwardly turning on the tap and washing away the blood on her forearms and hands, watching as the watered down crimson liquid dripped down the drain. As the last of her blood was washed away, Sarah flipped her hands palm up to the ceiling and watched in muted fascination as the puncture wounds on her hands slowly healed over. She shuddered. She wasn't kidding herself. She knew that the only reason she'd turned back was because of the pain. Not because she had any semblance of control. There mere thought terrified her. She was seconds away from shifting in  _class_ because of a person who was her  _friend_. What would she do in front of someone she perceived as a threat?

Her mind immediately transitioned to the Hunters. How long would she be jumping at shadows? How long would she be flinching at the slightest noise? Sarah had no clue who any of the Hunters were and she highly doubted they'd be running around with a neon sign hanging over their heads proclaiming 'I'm a Hunter!' Unfortunately by that logic,  _everyone_ was a threat.

The problem with Lydia threatening Scott's possible future relationship, was that Scott was not willing, in any way, to jeopardise what he _could_ have with Allison. She may not like the girl her brother was obviously falling for, but Scott was all for risking  _his_  life if it meant getting the girl. What he refused to think about was what would happen to anyone else who'd been bitten (or born for that matter) if  _he_  was caught.

The shrill ring of the bell disrupted her thought process. She needed to find Scott, to have a conversation about the game that didn't descend into an unreasonable argument. It was easy to admit to herself that she had been difficult, flying off the handle at the slightest offence. Rolling her tense shoulders back, she washed the last of the blood off the floor and left, pulling the bathroom door shut behind her. Sarah made a beeline for Scott's locker, hoping that either Scott or Stiles would have had the foresight to pick up her bag from the Math classroom, since she'd abandoned it when she left mid-shift. She needn't have worried however, as she spotted her partners' in crime (Stiles with her messenger bag over his shoulder) peaking around a corner at the bottom of the stairwell that lead to the Principal's office. 

Even at a distance she could hear Stiles' demanding voice clearly. "Tell me what they're saying. Can you hear them?"

"Shh." Scott hissed. "There's a curfew because of the body."

"Unbelievable." Stiles huffed. "My Dad's out looking for some rabid animal, while the jerk-off who actually killed the girl is just hanging out, doing whatever he wants."

Sarah scowled as she realized whom the two boys were whispering about. The man she was talking to last night, the one who had locked her up on the full moon so that she wouldn't attack anyone couldn't have killed the girl in the woods. It just wasn't  _plausible._

_Are you sure?_  The cynical part of her mind whispered cruelly. _You don't even know him... Maybe you're next on his list._

"Well you can't exactly tell your Dad the truth about Derek." Scott reasoned.

"I can do something." Stiles shot back.

Sarah walked up behind them silently, completely satisfied when they jumped at the sound of her voice. "Like what?" She demanded cooly.

"Nothing!" Stiles yelped. "Nothing at all _._ Hey." He lowered his volume. "Are you alright?"

The brunette glared at her twin and lifted her bag off Stiles' shoulder, swinging it over her own. "I'm fine. How 'bout you Scott? Lydia's threat must have hit you hard"

"I'm not going to play the game on Saturday if that's what you're implying." Scott muttered grumpily.

"Oh yeah?" Sarah asked sarcastically. "And how long is that resolve gonna last when Lydia starts introducing Allison to the rest of the single Lacrosse players? Huh? What are you going to do then?"

"Sare." Scott gripped her shoulders, in what he hoped was a placating manner. "I can control this. One game won't hurt any-"

"You don't know that!"

"Sarah-"

"Shut up Stiles!" The brunette whirled on her friend. "Him playing won't effect you in the slightest so back off!"

"Why are you being so selfish?" Scott growled, ignoring the slightly hurt expression on Stiles' face.

"I'm being selfish?" Sarah laughed shrilly. "Yes because I'm the one playing around with other people's lives!" She gripped his elbow tightly and dragged him into the nearest classroom. Slamming the door behind her she let her brother go. "Scott, we don't even know who they are. The Hunters-" She sighed. "They could be anyone."

Scott rubbed the back of his neck. He knew  _exactly_  who the Hunter's were. He knew exactly whom to avoid to stay alive. But did he want to? The reasonable part of his mind screamed at him that he was being foolish, that he was walking a thin line that could snap at any moment... but he refused to give up on Allison, simply because of who her family was. It wasn't right. He was being selfish, he knew that, but Sarah she. That train of thought was abruptly cut off as he realised something. No matter how strong Sarah seemed... she was more fragile than a pane of glass. No matter what she claimed, she could not look after herself, and no matter how much she reverted into herself and pulled away from both him and their Mother, she was still his little sister. 

And he couldn't survive without her.

"You know who they are." Sarah breathed.

Scott glanced down at his shoes, his guilty expression speaking volumes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She yelled.

"I was trying to-"

She glared at her brother "If you say protect me I will skin you alive." 

"Sarah-"

"I don't need your protection! You can't even protect yourself Scott!" She shook her head."Damn it, just tell me who they are!" Sarah demanded, stepping forward she gabbed the front of Scott's shirt in a death grip. "Tell me Scott! Who are they?"

Scott shut his eyes. She was going to hate him. "The Argents." Sarah dropped her grip. "The Hunter's are led by Allison's father."

"What?" She breathed. Pale skin and dark hair flashed in her mind causing her temper to flare. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Sarah yelled. "She's the daughter of a  _Hunter!_ She was born into a family that have been killing our kind for centuries- a family that now has us in their sights- and you're still seeing her? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me Sarah! Jesus! She's different-"

"Does she know?" The smaller brunette asked. "Does she know what we are? Huh?"

Scott shook his head.

"What do you think she'd do if you told her? I sure as hell doubt she'll smile and tell you she loves you! She'll run screaming to Daddy and he'll blow your fucking heads off! And if he doesn't then she sure as hell will!"

"You don't know that!" Scott snapped.

"Fine! Do whatever the fuck you want Scott! But when the rest of us are lying dead at your feet, remember what I told you."

The blue-eyed girl turned on her heel, wrenched the door open and stormed out into the crowded hallway, knocking an eavesdropping Stiles off his feet as he listened at the door.

"Where the hell are you going?" Scott yelled after her.

"None of your fucking business Scott!"

Scott sighed as held a hand out to his friend on the floor, Stiles grasped the offered hand tightly and stumbled as Scott pulled him off the floor with a bit more force than was necessary.

"She doesn't know about Derek does she?" Stiles muttered as he shouldered his backpack. "Cause I swear putting that bastard behind bars would solve a hell of a lot of problems."

Scott sighed. "It won't solve this one." Why was it that every time he and his sister were alone together these days, their conversations turned to full blown arguments? Silent Sarah was much easier to handle than the Sarah who'd fly off the handle at his every word. He rubbed the back of his neck, guilt flooding his veins. "I should have told her."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Well you didn't and you fucked up. Okay? You fucked up."

"What's happening Stiles?" He mumbled.

The brown-eyed boy sighed. "All I have is a guess." Scott nodded for him to continue. "Well, since you were turned into wolves everything is heightened right? Your eyesight, your sense of smell, your hearing?" The brunet nodded again, understanding what Stiles had said so far. "What if your emotions are too? It'd explain why you're both so," he paused, searching for the right word, "volatile I guess. And, it'd explain why your feelings for Allison have gotten so strong so fast."

"Are you saying that my feelings for her aren't real?"

"No. No." Stiles shook his head. "They're real enough. But while most crushes take time to develop, yours hit you like a ton of bricks. I'm guessing that right now, Allison is the only girl in the world." He rubbed the back of his neck, aware that his next sentence would offend Scott. "Even to the point where if you had to choose between Allison and Sare- you'd choose Allison."

* * *

Scott couldn't concentrate for the remainder of his classes, too focused on Stiles' frank words to pay any attention to his teachers. At first he'd completely dismissed it out of hand. There was no way he'd ever choose some  _girl_ over his sister. His twin! One of the two people in his life that had always, and would always be there for him, no matter what had happened. But the more he thought about it the more he realised that Stiles was right.

He had chosen Allison. By choosing to play the game on Saturday night, he'd chosen Allison. He inconspicuously hit his head on the table. He hadn't even realised. The fact that he'd chosen to play, ignoring both the protests of Derek Hale and Sarah made him want to cringe. Why had he done that? 

_Because if you don't you lose Allison_ a voice in the back of his head whispered.

Scott sighed. It was a lose/lose situation. If he didn't play he'd lose Allison. If he did play he'd lose Sarah.

_Only if you shift,_ the voice whispered again, _only if you lose control._

By the time the bell rang signalling the end of the day he'd made his decision. He was going to play. No matter what she said, no matter how angry she got, Sarah would simply have to accept his decision. He believed he could control it, and eventually she'd forgive him. She'd have to. Right?

"Scott?"

The brunet jumped and realised that he had literally walked into one of the two girls that had been occupying his thoughts for the past few hours. "Allison. Hey!" Over her shoulder Scott saw a smirking Lydia pulling away one of the boys on the Lacrosse team. "So Lydia's introducing you to everyone?"

"She's being so unbelievably nice to me." Allison grinned.

"Why?"

"Maybe she get's how much being the new girl sucks?" Allison shrugged, playing with the blazer in her arms. "Are you okay? I heard what happened with your sister."

Scott glanced at the floor. He had no doubt that the whole school had heard about the 'epic fight' between the McCall twins. "It's fine." He whispered. "It wasn't important."

"It looked pretty important." She hedged.

"It was nothing. Drop it." Scott frowned as he noticed the jacket in her arms. How, in the hell, had she gotten that? "Where did you get that?"

"My jacket?" Allison asked raising an eyebrow, recognising his obvious change of subject. If he didn't want to talk about it that was his prerogative, especially since her opinions of his sister were rather...  _low._  "It was in my locker. I think Lydia brought it back from the party. She knows my combination."

"Did she say she brought it back or did somebody give her the jacket?" Scott demanded. The only person who could have gotten that jacket was Derek. That bastard had been in the school stalking Allison! Suddenly, putting Derek behind bars seemed like a brilliant idea.

"Like who?" She questioned.

"Like Derek?" Scott demanded.

Allison frowned. "Your sister's friend? The one who gave me a lift home when you ditched me the other night?"

Scott cringed at the reminder. "They're not friends!" He sighed, noticing how harsh he sounded and retracted his statement. "Yeah, that one."

The pale girl stared at the brunet for a moment. "You didn't see them at the party did you?" She smirked. "They seemed a lot closer than  _friends._  I highly doubt she ever gets that close to Stiles."

Scott rolled his eyes, believing she was joking. "You'd be surprised how close Stiles and her get." He paused, something in her eyes telling him that she was being serious about Sarah and Derek being more than friends. "You've got to be joking."

Allison shook her head. "They seemed pretty close to me." She stepped closer to Scott, the thunderous expression he was wearing causing her to worry. "Scott what's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong damn it." Scott growled. "How much did you talk to him when he drove you home?" 

"I didn't." Allison's eyes narrowed. "He seemed pretty preoccupied to be honest."

"What did you say?" Scott pressed.

The bell rang causing Allison to curse. "I've gotta go." She kissed his cheek, a blush colouring her own. "We'll talk later yeah?" She called over her shoulder.

Scott scowled. For touching his sister... Derek Hale was going down.

* * *

Derek was a light sleeper. He'd always awoken to the slightest of sounds, the horror stories his older sister used to tell him about the Hunter's causing him to become hyperaware of sounds from a young age. This little quirk, as his mother used to call it, had only become more pronounced as the years went by, especially so after the fire. Rolling over on the mattress, he stood, tugging a shirt over his head as he glanced out the stained window. A familiar slim figure caught his eye, her thick brown tresses caught on the breeze as she stalked towards the burnt out shell that was his family home.

He raked a hand through his messy hair and took the rickety stairs two at a time, opening the door before Sarah could even raise her hand. Her shocked face, quickly morphed into something he easily recognised. Anger. Betrayal. He let the door swing open, stepping back to let her in.

"Did you kill her?"

Derek's eyes widened, the wind knocked completely out of him. He was not, expecting that. His arm came up to block her entrance, his stance becoming immediately defensive.

"The girl in the woods... did you kill her?"

"Did you?" He snapped.

Sarah gaped at him. "What? No!"

"Then there's your answer." Derek scowled and pushed the door shut, turning and stomping back up the stairs, his temper flaring at her accusation. Shaking his head, he flung open the door to his borrowed room and collapsed on the mattress. Accusations, he was used to. But it didn't stop them from hurting, from them being humiliating and degrading. Especially when they came from someone who he'd thought had understood... from someone who he could, in the depths of his subconscious, nestled between the childhood dream of becoming a race-car driver and the heart broken fifteen-year old who's nightmares were filled with the screams of his family, believed that someday, she might be the one for him.

Sarah looked down at her foot wedged between the door and the stop, and slowly pushed the door open. Stepping across the threshold, she couldn't help but notice how oppressive the silence of the old house was. Immediately she knew that it had once been a place full of life and warmth... something that had been cruelly stripped away by the deaths of the entire Hale family. The floorboards creaked warningly beneath her boots as she ascended the stairs, the fire not having been kind to their overall stability. It was easy to find the only inhabited bedroom, partially because it was only one of two that were still even remotely liveable. Sarah knocked lightly and hesitantly on his door, not sure what had possessed her to come after him, although now, she knew, it was far too late to simply walk away.

A muted "Come in." was all she needed to stop hanging around in the doorframe uncomfortably, entering the room to instead stand inside uncomfortably.

A sudden thought struck her, the pieces of the puzzle falling together, the pieces she hadn't cared to find and the one's she wasn't aware she held fitting together in a way she was certain Scott and Stiles hadn't predicted. "The girl in the woods... she... she was your sister."

Derek nodded, his eyes still firmly fixed on the charcoal ceiling. "Laura. Her name is- was, Laura."

Sarah nodded, crossing her hands behind her back and leaning against the wall. "Was it the, uh..." She trailed off, uncertain if she should even be asking.

"It ripped her in half." Derek replied, his voice monotonous.

The brunette exhaled, her breath overly loud in the silence. "I'm sorry Derek."

He didn't reply, instead pulling a worn photograph from his pocket, his eyes tracing it with familiar strokes before he held it out to her. Sarah didn't say a word as she grasped the crinkled photograph. In it was a rather large group of people, ranging from Infant to Adult, posing in front of the immaculate Hale Mansion, smiles adorning the faces of those old enough to know how to do so. Sarah bit her lip as she studied the faces of the raven-haired family. A small girl that Sarah immediately recognised as Cora Hale, the girl Scott had an almighty crush on for years when they were younger, grinned from the shoulders of a boy who couldn't have been more than fifteen. Peaking over the top of the photograph, Sarah found it hard to reconcile the boyish carefree smile that set her stomach aflutter with the broken man lying before her. Selfishly she wished she had known that version of Derek... but a larger, more prevalent part of her mind knew that this Derek, the one with a heart damaged almost beyond repair, would be far more accepting of what she had done, than the beautiful carefree teenager.

Returning to the photograph, her eyes wandered over the loving faces of a couple that seemed to either be in their late twenties, early thirties. The woman, with her head resting on the Man's shoulder, stared down at the infant in her arms, her gaze holding the love that Sarah saw in the eyes of her own mother. The man smiled softly at the woman, his hands resting easily on the shoulder of a pair of twins that Sarah again recognised. Maria and Henry were the other pair of twins in her grade, at Beacon Primary and they'd gotten along well... it hadn't really clicked until now that she'd  _known_ the Hale's, that the people she'd known as a child, were Derek's  _family._

An older girl and boy stood side-by-side, mischief in their eyes as they held up bunny-ears behind each other's heads. The girl, with a body that would turn a supermodel green with envy, had a joyous smile, the red tints in her hair highlighted by the sun above. f she had to guess, Sarah would peg this girl as Laura. The boy beside her held himself like a king, but his smile held a sharp edge to it that immediately put her on guard.

In the middle of the group were a middle-aged couple, their arms wrapped lovingly around the other's waist, the woman's long black hair cascading over her shoulder like a waterfall, the man's boyish smile matching Derek's point for point. The couple, she guessed were Derek's parents. Lastly, an older man, his salt and pepper hair standing out amongst the sea of raven, smiled, his kindly face turned towards his family instead of the camera.

"This is your family." She whispered, almost reverently, afraid that she'd harm their memory by speaking.

"They were my family." He whispered. "You're looking at what's left." 

Sarah slumped against the wall, her eyes shutting tightly. "I'm so sorry Derek."

He laughed harshly, a horrible bitter, grating laugh that set her teeth on edge and made her heart twinge in sympathy. "Oh don't be. I didn't kill Laura, but I am the reason the rest of my family are dead." Het sat up, his eyes hard. "Do you still feel sympathetic now Sarah? Do you still pity me for the loss of my family?" 

Sarah held her breath, suddenly understanding what kind of situation she'd gotten herself into. She wanted to step back, but she was already pressed so tightly against the wall she could have passed for wallpaper. Derek stood, looking every inch the predator as he stalked towards her, his every step making her heart pound in fear. What had she done?

"No," Derek whispered, his voice smooth, melodic and all together terrifying as he stepped closer. "That's not sympathy thats causing your heart to pound and your chest to tighten... that's _fear_ ** _._** _You're afraid of **me**._ "

Raising her chin in defiance Sarah stood her ground, the fear that was seconds away from crippling her, washed away as something much more powerful filled her veins. 

Anger.

"You utter bastard." She growled, her breath leaving her body in short, sharp puffs. Her hands shook as the adrenalin flooding her bloodstream did it's job, the shift kicking everything into overdrive. "I trusted you."

"You shouldn't have." Derek snapped, his eyes flashing blue as he slammed her back against the wall, the panels shaking from the force of the blow. "Trusting me will only get you killed."

Pushing his hands off her easily she turned the tables on him and turned him around, pinning him against the wall, her body betraying her as she suddenly became all too aware of how close together they were. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't." She hissed, her eyes flashing between her normal blue and a dark molten gold that was almost... brown? Derek stiffened, the eyes of a Beta could only change because of one of two things. Either they killed an Alpha and inherited the power that would turn their eyes red, or they could kill an innocent, turning a part of their soul black, which in turn changed their gold eyes blue... as far as he knew, neither had happened to the spitfire in front of him. So why was the colour leaching from her eyes? "What is it Derek? 'Cause the other night you were all for me trusting you, now you want me to stay away? What the fuck changed?"

His lips curled into a sneer, pushing away the thoughts of her eyes. "Trust kills people." At her glare he pushed her off, putting the space that the two of them desperately needed, between them. "Look around you Sarah! How do you think this happened? Huh? How!" 

"I- I don't know."

"Damn right you don't! This happened because I trusted the wrong person. I told her everything, and she  _burned my entire family **alive!** " _Derek shouted, breathing heavily as he told her his darkest secret, without even meaning to. All he wanted was to push her away, hoping that doing so would keep her alive for longer. Especially when the Argents came knocking and found the connection Scott and Sarah had to him. 

Sarah gaped at the man in front of her, the shift fading away as her anger deflated. No wonder he was so broken, he wore the deaths of his family like lead weights on his shoulders, blaming himself for the abuse of trust that had cost him the people he loved. "Derek I am truly sorry for what happened to your family, but contrary to the guilt that you so obviously bare, you didn't light the match that killed your family."

He shook his head, a bitter smile on his lips. "No, but I gave her the reason to throw the gasoline."

Sarah laughed harshly, fully intending to bitch slap the cold hard truth into him. "Please." She dragged her fingernails across the wall, the soot of the walls covering her fingertips. "You were what? Fifteen? Sixteen? And I'm guessing that you did a hell of a lot more than just _trust_ this girl." Derek crossed his arms, his emotions concealed by a cold mask. "She used you."

"I am well aware of that McCall, get to the point."

Sarah sighed loudly, throwing her arms in the air in frustration. "She was looking for a reason, for an excuse... for _any_ excuse. You said the Hunters have a code right?" He nodded, and she continued. "Your family co-existed for years with the rest of Beacon Hills, so what reason did they have to murder a family of innocents? She didn't care, she didn't _'follow the code'._ She was just looking for a kill." She picked up the discarded photograph, and held it up to him. "You were a teenager! A carefree, innocent, _malleable_ teenage boy, and whether she was older, younger, or whatever, she took advantage!" She paused, searching the frozen eyes of the photographed Derek. "I'm guessing you were in love with her." Sarah glanced down at the photograph for a moment longer and handed it back, his fingers grasping it shakily, before he looked up, their eyes locking. "And love... love is blinding."

"Derek!"

Scott's voice pulled them both out of the moment they'd fallen into, both of them looking towards the window. Derek brushed past her without a word, causing Sarah to lower her head. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she couldn't let him continue to believe that he was to blame... even if he was. Sinking onto the mattress silently she listened to Scott's laboured breathing. 

"Derek! Stay away from them! You hear me?" Scott shouted, his voice almost cracking from anger. "Stay away from them."

"What if I don't? What if they come to me? Huh? What are you going to then Scott?"

Scott growled loudly. "You stay the fuck away from my sister, she doesn't need your help! I can protect her! Her and Allison!"

"No, you can't." Derek snapped. "You think your little buddy Stiles can just... Google werewolves and now you've got all the answers is that it? You don't know it yet Scott but I'm looking out for you. Think about what could happen. You're out on the field. The aggression takes over and you shift. In front of everyone." Sarah held her breath. "Your Mum. All of your friends. The Hunters. And when they see you everything will fall apart."

The dull shred of canvas echoed in her ears, causing her to absently wonder what could have been shredded, and who did the shredding. 

"It's not just you on the line here Scott. It's me, it's Sarah. If someone sees you shift it's not that much of a leap to think she will too."

Suddenly Derek was beside her and she was only slightly surprised to find him there. She turned her head back towards the ceiling, her eyes tracing the grains in the charcoal wood, her ears listening as the sound of Scott's bike faded into the distance and the only thing she could hear was their slightly elevated heart rates. She turned her head towards Derek, who'd long since laid beside her, his eyes also fixed on the ceiling.

"I shouldn't have-"

"Don't." He muttered, his voice gravelly. His calloused hand found her's on the mattress and linked their fingers together for a moment. His eyes remained fixed on the grains of wood above them, his breathing finally steady. "Don't apologise, for saying what I needed to hear."

* * *

In the hours before the game on Saturday morning, Sarah sat on her bed, staring at the blank word document on her laptop, hoping that her comparative essay on how a Theistic religious tradition such as Christianity and a Non-Theistic religious tradition such as Buddhism cope in the face of suffering, would simply write itself. What had possessed her, beyond the temptation of easy points, to choose Religion and Philosophy as an elective escaped her. With everything that was going through her mind, she had hoped that she could use School work as an escape, despite knowing how dangerous looking for an 'escape' from her thoughts and life was. Unfortunately, school work didn't quite do it in regards to distracting her from her thoughts of Werewolves, Hunters and bloody Lacrosse games.

"You know," a familiar voice drawled from the doorway, "simply glaring at that precious laptop of yours won't start that essay that you're avoiding."

Sarah whirled around so quickly she barely avoided an accidental meeting between her laptop and the hard-wood floors. "Erica!" She shouted, tackling her best friend with the enthusiasm of someone who hadn't seen their partner in crime for close to a month.

Erica squealed with laughter as the two of them hit the floor in a mess of limbs. Hugging the brunette back tightly she grinned. "I missed you too!"

Sarah laughed as she disentangled herself from the blonde and sat upright. "When did you get back?"

"This morning." Erica grinned. "Mum let me go, she got called to the station fifteen minutes ago and dropped me here."

The brunette scowled. "Nice to see everything with your Mum is completely back to normal."

Erica rolled her eyes. "Apparently a month long holiday in Australia can't even fix that much." Shaking her head she stood and held out her hand for Sarah. "So I hear it's the first game of the season tonight?"

Sarah groaned and collapsed face first onto her bed. 

"That bad?"

"Scott's on the team." Sarah replied, her voice muffled.

Erica gaped at her best friend. "Seriously? That's great!" Sarah groaned again. "That's not great?" The blonde questioned, her confusion evident. "Why is that not great? Wait." She paused. "How did he get on the team in the first place? He's a terrible player. Did he bribe Coach or something?"

Sarah groaned a third time. "Something like that."

"So what's the problem! We get to watch Scott make a fool of himself for two hours whilst we watch from the grandstand with a video camera. That's two hours of blackmail material."

"It's complicated Eri."

The blonde shook her head, and traipsed over to Sarah's wardrobe, opening it with a dramatic flourish. "Well un-complicate it, we're going to watch the game." She pulled out a pair of pale blue jeans, a printed singlet and a warm coat, throwing them all in Sarah's direction. "Here, wear these, while I try and find something for me."

Sarah smiled tiredly. It never ceased to amaze her how different Erica was when it was just the two of them. She was confident, bright and bubbly, and everything from the way she talked to the way she walked said she could take on the world and win. But the minute she stepped outside, into the real world or through the heavy double doors of Beacon Hill's High, she'd resort back to the timid scrap of a girl who seemed as though she'd be blown away by the next light wind and no one, not even Sarah would notice. "Didn't you buy any clothes in Australia?"

Erica gaped at her friend. "Well duh, but they're at my house... so your clothes it is!"

Sarah laughed, Erica's reasoning all to familiar. "There's a bag in the corner from Macy's. Yes, they're for you, no you can't return them, I threw away the receipt."

"I can't wear these." She whispered, her voice wavering as she examined the black foe-leather jeans that Sarah had bought her.

"Ah, yes you can." Sarah responded. "And you will.

Erica shook her head quickly. "I can't wear these Sarah. What if-" she looked down. "What if-"

"You won't. And if you do…" Sarah took her hands. "I'll be with you the whole time."

The blonde nodded uncertainly. Turning back to the mirror she sighed. What had she done to deserve a friend like Sarah? Perhaps she'd done something great in a past life and she was being rewarded with the crazy brunette she called her best friend. Erica smiled and shook her head. Her eyes swept the room. Not much had changed in the month she'd been gone- everything was still in the same place, well almost everything. Her hazel eyes lingered on a black leather jacket that was folded innocently on the window seat.

Erica crossed the room quickly and picked it up, holding it out curiously in front of her. Sarah's eyes widened. She'd completely forgotten about Derek's jacket and she was in no mood whatsoever to explain to Erica the _beyond_ complicated relationship she and Derek had seemingly fallen into. Especially after yesterday's disastrous debacle. 

"Is there something you've forgotten to mention Sare?" The blonde smirked as she dangled the jacket off her index finger.

Sarah snatched at the jacket, but Erica held it out of her reach, her smirk widening into a smug grin. "It belongs to a friend." Sarah finally revealed petulantly. 

"Then it must be someone I haven't met cause neither Danny nor Stiles wear leather jackets." Erica's eyes glinted with mirth. "Spill."

"It belongs to someone I met recently... I just haven't had time to return it yet."

"Uh huh. Sure." Erica smirked. "Stop holding out on me and give me a name so I can Facebook stalk."

Sarah rolled her eyes. If there was anyone who had a valid excuse to avoid social media like the Plague, it was Derek Hale. "First of all, him having Facebook is about as likely as me being coronated as Queen next week, and you have to promise me you wont go all judgy when I tell you his name."

"As long as it's not Jackson, there'll be no judgement from me."

Sarah took a deep breath, deciding that she'd tell the truth the same way she used to rip off a bandaid as a nine-year-old. Quickly. "Derek Hale." She blurted, covering her eyes as she sank onto the bed, fully expecting the judgemental tirade that never came. Instead the soft crinkle of leather as it hit her hard-wood floors and the sharp intake of breath that had her hands uncovering her eyes as quickly as they'd covered them in the first place. "Erica?" She called lightly, the frozen stance of her best friend worrying her more than she'd care to admit to anyone other than herself. 

Erica seemed to snap out of her trance, her eyes wide. "You need to stay away from him."

"Oh  _God."_ Sarah exclaimed in exasperation as she collapsed backwards on her duvet. "You have got to be joking! You too?"

"Sarah, I'm serious."

The brunette sat up, fire burning in her cerulean eyes. "So am I! First it was Scott, then Stiles and now you? You know what, all of you can shove it!"

"Damn it Sarah!" Erica shouted, her eyes prickling with tears. She hated to fight with Sarah, it was like fighting with a part of herself but she had a valid reason for speaking out. Derek Hale, he was trouble, wrapped up in danger and drenched in gasoline... and Sarah liked to play with fire. Consequences be damned. "He's dangerous."

"I'm aware." Sarah snapped dryly. "But you know what Erica. I don't give a fuck."

Erica recoiled like she'd been slapped. "I thought we'd stopped this." She grabbed Sarah's hand and gripped it tightly. "What has brought you back to this? Huh? What happened when I was gone? Why do you still want to throw your life away?"

"Everything changed Erica!" Sarah yelled, her voice rising and her temperature flaring dangerously as she ripped her hand away. " _Everything._  And you know what? He's helping! Derek is helping. Why do you want to take away one of the only good things I've got going for me? Huh?"

The blonde shook her head, betrayal clear in her eyes. "And what am I? Am I not 'good' enough for you anymore? Is that it? Is this your way of telling me that we're done? That our friendship is over?"

"No."

"No what?" Erica cried, turning away from her best friend and heading for the door, tired of the argument that was threatening to shatter her friendship. She paused, her hand resting on the, unknowingly to her, newly repaired door handle. "Because if you're choosing a convict over me then I'm out."

Sarah raised her head, her eyes blazing like a fire, her once cerulean eyes turning a dark shade of molten topaz as they locked on her best friend. "Convict?" She growled her voice gaining an edge to it that caused Erica to freeze, terror ripping through her veins before she could stop it.

The blonde didn't turn, her body not allowing her to do so. Her next sentence was whispered into the hard wood door. "Arlette's first act when she returned was to arrest Derek Hale," She took a deep breath, knowing her next words would either make or break their friendship. "For the murder of the girl in the Preserve."

The feral scream of rage that tore from Sarah's throat finally allowed Erica's body to unfreeze and she spun around, completely unprepared for the sight she was greeted with. Her best friend was changing... her body shuddering in great gasping heaves as she fell forward, her hands splaying out on the hardwood floors in front of her, her fingernails giving way to talons that looked perfect for ripping the flesh of bones. 

"Get. Out." Sarah groaned, her head snapping up to lock her gaze with Erica's.

A whimper escaped her throat before she could stop it as she was trapped in the predatory gaze of her best friend. Every single of of her instincts was screaming, begging for her to escape, to run, to get as far away as possible, but as her back hit the polished white door to Sarah's bedroom... she knew she wasn't going anywhere. The sarcastic, funny, caring girl that was her best friend had been replaced with some _thing_ Erica couldn't reconcile with her best friend. In that moment she realised that Sarah had gone.

Sarah was across the room in a flash, her head cocked slightly to the side as she stared at her _prey_ with a sadistic amusement she didn't know she was capable of. The wolf inside her had been brought to the forefront of her consciousness with the shift was just  _begging_ to hunt. To rip, to tear and to kill... and the human in front of her was the perfect place to start. She growled loudly, pleased at the fear she inspired in her prey. 

Before Erica could grasp what was happening, two clawed hands were around her throat, squeezing tight, the claws causing shallow puncture wounds in her neck. "S-ar-" She choked, unable to form her best friend's full name. Gripping Sarah's wrists with the last of her strength she tried with all her might to pull the brunette's hands away from her neck. Suddenly Sarah's eyes flashed cerulean, and Erica dropped to the ground, gasping for the oxygen she'd been deprived of.

Sarah stared at her blood covered hands in abject horror, and then at her still gasping best friend. "I'm so sorry." She whispered, her claws and canines detracting, her hands beginning to shake as the red liquid seeped into her skin. "Oh god I'm so sorry." She dropped down beside Erica, still whispering sorry, over and over, not at all surprised when the blonde flinched away from her. 

"Don't touch me!" Erica snapped, her hand going to either side of her neck and coming away bloody. She stood, her knees weak and pushed Sarah's hand away, her anger mounting as she stalked towards the bathroom. She knew, from the many scraped knees and palms, where the first aid kit was, and pulled it out, cleaning the wounds on her neck with efficiency. Having locked the doors when she came in, she knew she wouldn't be interrupted so, she used this time to think, and gather her thoughts. Sarah had just tried to kill her. The girl, who wasn't capable of being in the same room as a spider, and felt guilty when Melissa sprayed it with bug killer, had just tried to strangle her. To death. Something had happened to her best friend, turning her into some _thing_ that was not even in the realm of human. She hesitated putting a name to it, because Hollywood had obviously gotten it wrong when they portrayed werewolves as only turning on the full moon (hey there Tyler Lockwood) though, she supposed, they weren't so wrong about them becoming homicidal maniacs. Ala Remus Lupin. If she had to compare what Sarah turned into to anything in modern T.V, she'd almost compare it to the Hybrids of the Vampire Diaries... but even that wasn't quite right.

What was obvious however... Sarah, she wasn't quite the girl she'd left behind at the beginning of summer to go to Australia, she was different, dangerous... and only time would tell if this was something either of them could survive. Cupping water in her hands, she splashed it on her face, the cool water soothing and calming her whirlwind of emotions. Hadn't they been through enough? Hadn't Sarah been through enough? What had she done to deserve becoming the monster in the story books?

Erica wasn't surprised when she opened the bathroom door to find Sarah in the same place she'd been when she'd escaped. She'd sunk to the floor at one point, her back pressed against the wall and her knees pulled up to her chest, her eyes still locked on her bloody hands. As she stepped closer, her heart broke to hear Sarah's whispered mantra of broken apologies. In a move that she'd become all to familiar with over the past few years, she crouched down beside Sarah and pulled her upright, the brunette's weight almost completely on her as they stumbled to the bathroom. She pushed Sarah into the shower and turned on the tap, the lukewarm stream not doing much to snap her out of her guilt induced catatonia. 

For a few minutes, as Erica scrubbed her blood off Sarah's hands, the water ran red, the evidence of Sarah's brutality washing away like the banks of a river in a storm. When Sarah began to shake, the blonde shut off the water and pulled her from the shower and wrapped a towel around her. It was a stark contrast. The shaking girl who looked like she'd be blown away by the next gust of wind, to the ferocious monster who wanted nothing more to rip out her throat and dance on her broken body. It was hard for Erica to hate Sarah for what she'd done, and she knew that she wouldn't ever be able to hate the brunette. They'd been through far too much, survived far too much, for hate to ever be a factor in their friendship. Yes, a part of her wanted desperately to hate Sarah... but she'd always been an irrational person... and Sarah hadn't chosen to do what she'd done, she hadn't chosen to become what she was. And Erica would believe that until the day she died.

"I think I'm going to need to find you some new clothes." Erica whispered, her watery smile almost drowning Sarah in self-hatred and guilt.

The brunette lowered her head. "How can you even look at me?" She whispered, her voice so soft, Erica strained to hear it.

Erica brushed Sarah's hair back affectionately. Even when they didn't want it to, forgiveness always came instantly for them. "Because I forgave you the minute it happened."

Sarah's eyes snapped up. "You... you forgive me?"

"I'll always forgive you. Even if I want nothing more than to hate you." Erica whispered, letting her friend go and busying herself with finding the troubled brunette some dry clothes. The look in Sarah's eyes... the crushing guilt and the self hatred... it was far too familiar and it hurt to realise that all the work they'd done in the past year to get rid of that look in her eyes had been undone. 

"I'm sorry Erica." Sarah whispered, watching as Erica floated around the room, pulling out pieces of clothing. The blonde didn't acknowledge her apology, instead offering her the clothes and turning away. Sarah wasn't surprised to find that her best friend could no longer look her in the eyes. She wouldn't want to either. Stripping off her still dripping clothes she dried herself quickly and threw her hair up into a messy bun, just to get the wet strand out of her eyes. She slipped into the offered clothes without protest, mildly noticing that they were the same ones Erica had picked out earlier. She left her wet clothes in a pile in the corner of the room, resolving to deal with them later, though knowing that she'd forget and it would end up being her Mum that picked them up and put them in the hamper.

"You know, I've been trying to figure out how any of this is real." Erica stated as the brunette nervously shut the bathroom door. "How werewolves could possibly be real, and how being one could have caused you to turn on your best friend."

Sarah gaped at the blonde, nervousness forgotten as she stared at the cross-legged girl on her bed.

"Because I know that, even when you were at your lowest, you still loved me, you still loved Scott and Stiles and Mel. So what changed?"

"Nothing changed." Sarah replied softly.

"Bullshit." Erica stated, her hazel eyes hard. "Everything has changed. You've changed. And from what I can gather, it wasn't by choice either. You would never chose something that could potentially put any one of us in danger, you would however choose something that was a danger to _you_ because despite everything that happened, you still don't give a fuck about your own safety!"

The wave of guilt that flooded her veins had the potential to crush her, she pushed it back violently and crossed her arms. "You're right, I don't care about myself, and no, I didn't choose to become what I am, the choice was taken away from me when I chose to go looking for the body of the girl in the woods who F.Y.I, wasn't killed by Derek Hale."

Erica shook her head. "You wouldn't have gone into the Preserve on your own, I know you're not that stupid, which means that tweedledumb and tweedledumber went with you." Sarah's stony glare spoke volumes. "From the look you're giving me I'm guessing Stiles did something stupid and was caught by the Sheriff which means that it was Scott who was with you." The blonde glanced up at her friend for conformation. "Scott was bitten too." She whispered. The implications of the statement caught up with her and she swayed, vertigo hitting her as she realised the danger she'd been put in by association. "Can he uh- can he do the claw thing?"

Sarah nodded. 

"And he's playing tonight?" The blonde sighed as Sarah again, nodded. "Well. That's fun." She shook her head, as though trying to clear the cobwebs that had settled in her brain as she tried to process what the hell was going on."What does Derek Hale have to do with this?"

"The girl in the woods is his sister Laura... and he... well, he's the same as me." Sarah replied.

"Was he the one that..." Erica trailed off and waved her hands around wildly, not able to form the appropriate words.

"No, Derek didn't bite me."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because he's the one who scraped me off the forest floor and put me back together!" Sarah snapped, at her wits end with the accusations against Derek. The ever present guilt flared again when she realised that she'd been one of the accusers not too long before. "Look Erica, I get it. This is hard to accept and it's hard to reconcile me with who I was before the summer... but I'm still me."

Erica shook her head. "You may look like the girl who's been my best friend for as long as I can remember... but even in her darkest hours, that girl would never have tried to kill me."

Sarah pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and lowered her head. "You're right."

"What?"

"You're. Right." Sarah replied, her voice shaky. "I wouldn't have, but I'm not just the Sarah that you left behind Erica, I'm different. I'm stronger, faster, and as much as I initially hated it, what happened to me was a gift, no matter the pain it causes me. But this whole thing comes with something I can't control, because it's new to me too!"

Erica shook her head. "You can't seriously be trying to justify what just happened!"

"No!" Sarah exclaimed. "Of course I'm not Erica! You're my best friend and I have _never_ wanted to hurt you."

"But you did..." The blonde whispered, her arms wrapping tightly around her chest, as though she was trying to hold herself together. "And I forgave you instantly and that's what terrifies me." She closed her eyes. "Because what if next time, it's not me, it's someone else, and they can't stop you and we're left with a body? What happens then? Because I'll always be on your side, and now..." She trailed off, not wanting to put words to what could happen. This path that they'd stepped onto could lead to so much pain and danger that neither of them could ever be prepared for. What would happen if Sarah started dropping bodies? What would they do then? The guilt would crush the both of them.

"I can't promise control." Sarah replied, her voice tired and far too world-weary for a sixteen-year-old.

Erica shook her head. "Unfortunately Sarah... that's just not good enough."

The loud bang of the front door closing accompanied by Melissa's shout of "Sarah" put an end to any further conversation. The two girls busied themselves with finding a pair of coats and matching scarfs, hanging them over their arms as they, in a silent conversation that ended in a mutual agreement, decided to ignore what had happened and pretend as though nothing had changed. Ambling down the stairs, they met Melissa in the kitchen, the eldest McCall gave Erica a bright smile and pulled her into a warm hug before anything else was said.

"Hello sweetheart, welcome home." Melissa grinned as she held Erica at an arms length and peered at her closely. "You look beautiful, Australia did you well kiddo."

Erica smiled brightly, Melissa's words a soothing balm to her troubled emotions. She played with the ends of the scarf wrapped around her neck, hiding the still present claw marks, courtesy of Sarah's 'other side' and nodded. "Australia was really good. I climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge on my last day, the view was incredible."

Melissa's eyes narrowed momentarily. "How was Arlette?"

Erica shrugged. "I'm just glad to be back here with you guys."

Melissa hummed in obvious disapproval of Arlette's parenting (or lack of) skills. Her entire approach to parenting seemed to be an expensive summer holiday and giving Erica unlimited access to her bank account. Over the years, Melissa had become sort of a pseudo mother to both Erica and Stiles, who both lacked the presence of a mother figure in their life. Erica, due to her strained relationship with her absentee and frankly neglectful mother and Stiles, because of the death of Claudia, his mother. Stiles and Sarah had made a pact not long after their thirteenth birthdays, he would share her Mum, in exchange for her sharing his Dad. It was silly and naive... but it was comforting. And they'd needed comfort.

"Scotty's game starts in half hour, so I'll go get changed and we can go." Melissa was half way through the door when she turned around and pinned Sarah with a practiced severe expression. "And Sarah Anne, I know how unimpressed you are with your brother at the moment, but every time you cheer for the other team and/or Jackson Whittemore, you're docked your weekly allowance." Giving her daughter a mischievous grin, she exited the room with a flourish leaving a stunned Sarah and a giggling Erica behind.

The brunette soon snapped out of her stupor. "What? Mum!" 

* * *

"Are you going to try and convince me not to play?" Scott asked as he looked up at his friend.

Stiles shook his head, plopping down on the seat beside him with a sigh. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"If I don't play I lose First Line and Allison." The brunet groaned.

"Yeah," Stiles started, "but if you do play you risk losing a whole lot more than that." Stiles' voice dropped to an aggravated hiss. "You're risking your life and Sarah's life. This is a bad idea."

Scott glared at him.

"Don't glare at me Scott! I went along with this idea because I thought Derek was guilty! I still don't think you should play- Allison isn't going anywhere! This is one game that you really don't need to play."

"I wanna play!" Scott yelled, pulling the attention of the nearby players in the Locker Room. He smiled awkwardly and lowered his voice. "I want to be on the team, I want to go out with Allison. I want a semi fricking normal life. Do you get that? I know I can control this. I know I can. I'd never do anything that would put my sister in danger. Never."

Stiles looked down. Maybe Scott didn't realize that he already  _had._ "I get it." He sighed. "But someday you'll turn around and realize you lost everything because of one girl."

Scott's pointed lack of a response prompted Stiles to pick up his Lacrosse gear and wander out to the field. Sullenly joining the few members of the team that were waiting on the benches, his eyes swept the crowd, searching for the cerulean blue of his best friend. Raising his arm in hello when he spotted the familiar heads of brunette hair he walked over to them, dodging through the crowd with ease. Stiles smiled tightly as he spotted Erica at Sarah's side and wondered vaguely if Sarah had told her. sSo much had changed since she'd left and if Sarah hadn't said anything it was going to be awkward as hell to avoid conversations about werewolves. Especially since it was what most of their conversations revolved around these days.

"Hey gorgeous!" He smiled as he wrapped the blonde in a tight hug, pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind.

"Stiles!" She laughed and hugged him back with just as much enthusiasm.

Stiles' brown eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of darkened angry red skin that peaked out of the scarf around Erica's neck. He turned a questioning glance to Sarah who hung her head guiltily. His eyes widened.  _Sarah had caused that._

Erica adjusted the scarf and took Stiles' hand. "I'm fine." She glanced at the guilty brunette beside her and touched her shoulder lightly. "It was an accident."

Sarah tried not to flinch. "What I did doesn't even fall in the realm of accident." She replied bitterly. "Almost killing your best friend is attempted manslaughter, no matter how you look at it."

Stiles stared down at his guilty best friend and sighed. Sarah had never handed guilt well and her turning into a werewolf hadn't apparently changed that. He shook his head and turned to Erica. "If it makes you feel better Eri, Scott tried to kill me too. If I didn't know better, I'd say these two were trying to get rid of us." Stiles smirk took away any bite the words could have had and relieved some of the tension.

"Yeah." Sarah replied a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Not one of Scott and I's better plans."

Stiles smiled brightly and kissed her on the forehead. "Just like I said the other day Sare, it'll get better."

Her whispered "Oh God I hope so" was overshadowed by Melissa's arrival at the bench, prattling on about how difficult it was to find a parking spot that didn't require her to park next to a pole and be unable to open her door, or under a tree, where the pollen from the flowers made her sneeze uncontrollably. She smiled at the group affectionally when they rolled their eyes in unison, having heard this conversation every single Lacrosse game since Freshman year.

"You're lucky I love the lot of you." She shook her head, her gaze being pulled back to the field. "Shouldn't you be getting ready Stiles?"

Stiles eyes widened as he realized the game was seconds from starting. "Yep!" He yelped and raced off without so much as a goodbye to the small group.

The Ref blew his whistle loudly, and the team jogged onto the field amid the sound of the crowd's deafening cheers. The trio added their own cheers to the cornucopia of noise, Sarah deciding that the loss of her meagre allowance not worth it as she cheered for her brother, instead of the opposing team from Port Vale High. Her only outwardly sign of disapproval of Scott's decision to play the game, were the clenched fists at her side, which Sarah was thankful to Erica for not pointing out, instead, linking their arms together and patting her forearm. She watched, her knee bouncing nervously as Jackson consecutively flattened Scott time and time again, her brother becoming more and more agitated. Sarah was thankful for the blonde at her side, who although she reaked of fear and was tenser than a tightly coiled spring, didn't move from her side and muttered soothing words in her ear.

As she watched Scott sprint up and down the field she felt the change in the air and tensed, every part of her ready to bolt if things went bad. Her eyes locked on her brother and could see the subtle differences in his stance that told her he was fighting for the control of his wolf that he didn't have. Her eyes remained on her brother for a moment longer before she turned in her seat, searching for the family that was, although they weren't aware of it, hell-bent on destroying what she had left. She spotted Allison, a disgruntled expression on her pale face as she was yanked out of her seat by Lydia, and forced to hold up a sign sporting Jackson's name. A smirk crossed her features, in typical Lydia fashion she'd gotten exactly what she wanted and although what Lydia wanted didn't line up with what Sarah herself wanted, she couldn't deny that in different circumstances she would have found Lydia's antics amusing.

Her eyes flicked to the clean-shaven man at Allison's side that really caught her attention. He sat ramrod straight, his eyes darting between the players and the crowd with a practiced gaze that seemed to be searching for every variable and every solution to any problem that could arise. His jaw was set, and he seemed to exude a certain confidence that Sarah could appreciate, even if she didn't like the man on principal. His dark eyes locked on hers and she raised her chin, the stubborn set of her jaw displaying her unwillingness to back down from the standoff she'd found herself in. She knew, without a doubt that he was appraising her, studying her and determining her worth and judging if she could be a potential threat. To her surprise he nodded in acceptance, her show of what he must have assumed as strength appeasing his warrior nature and dismissing her as a threat. She returned the nod and let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, unable to shake the feeling that she'd dodged a bullet and passed some kind of test at the same time.

"Are you okay?" Erica whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the unfamiliar man.

Sarah slumped in her seat, breathing deeply. "Yeah..." She rolled her shoulders back and continued, her voice stronger. "Yeah I'm fine."

Erica nodded, not entirely convinced of the statement, but willing to let it slide. Her jaw, along with both Melissa's and Sarah's dropped in surprised unison as a player, on the opposing team handed the ball to Scott.

"Did he just-"

"I think so." Erica mumbled as she clamped a hand down on Sarah's bouncing knee, stopping the constant clanging of the bench beneath them.

Sarah nodded in thanks and turned her eyes back to the game, the three of them completely thrown as Scott threw the ball straight through the Goalie's racket just as the final siren sounded. The stands occupied by Beacon Hill's High supporters jumped to their feet, their cheers deafening as they won their first game for the season. Sarah, although she'd cheered with the rest of them didn't lose track of Scott in the excitement as he pulled away from the crowd and staggered towards the locker rooms. 

"Should we go after him?" Erica asked, her fear, although well covered, obvious to Sarah.

"No." The brunette replied as she watched Stiles sprint towards the doors Scott had just thrown open. "Stiles has it under control."

Her eyes searched the crowd, again landing on the now standing man beside Allison. His eyes were narrowed flicking between the doors that lead to the Locker Rooms and the players still on the field, Sarah watched as he turned his head back to Allison, saying something as the dark-haired girl grinned and turned away from him, jogging towards the Locker Rooms. He scowled after her and Sarah smirked, realising that the stoic mad obviously disapproved of the relationship between the two teens. With no outward sign of the Hunter knowing what she and Scott were, Sarah grinned and finally allowed herself a moment of relaxation as she celebrated with the relieved Erica and proud Melissa.

As Stiles jogged back onto the field, unharmed with a smirk on his lips, Sarah nodded to Erica, all the tension that had built up over the course of the evening bleeding away, until all she was left with was an over abundance of guilt and relief. The easy-going teen started towards the two girls, but stopped as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed it against his ear. Sarah turned her head to the side, hearing the conversation between Stiles and the Sheriff as though it was happening beside her.

> _"Dad? What's wrong?"_

Even from the distance, Sarah could hear the worry in Stiles's voice and as she studied his face she could easily see the lines of worry that crossed his face. She heard John's scratchy sigh before she continued and knew that this conversation could go two ways.

> " _The Medical Examiner looked at the other half of the body and they found traces of Animal hairs. We got the wrong man."_
> 
> _"What!"_
> 
> _"You and your partner in crime accused an innocent man, and yes Stiles, that does mean what you think it does. Congratulations kid, you're grounded for the next four weeks."_

Sarah, hearing John's deadpan voice couldn't hold in the amusement that caused her to laugh loudly, drawing a confused expression from Erica and a disgruntled glare from Stiles as he pointed at the phone and back at her. She nodded with a smirk and laughed as he threw his hands in the air.

"What's happening?"

Sarah smiled and linked her arm with Erica's. "They're letting Derek go, and Stiles just got grounded for his troubles. My night is looking up."

Erica laughed and shook her head. "No wonder Stiles just looks like he had the rug pulled out from under him."

The brunette "hmmed" in agreement and glanced over the crowd searching for Melissa. "I'm just glad that the Argents didn't seem to notice anything."

"Yet." Erica replied, also searching the crowd.

"Scott's careless and I'm not much better." Sarah replied uneasily. "As long as we can get some control we should..." She trailed off, her cerulean eyes catching something unexpected. "... be fine?"

Erica followed Sarah's line of sight, interested in what exactly had caught her friend's attention. Her eyes narrowed/ "Is that...?"

Sarah nodded. 

"I can see why you like him." The blonde muttered, blatantly checking out the older man.

"He can hear you."

Erica grinned slyly. "Oh, I know."

Sarah rolled her eyes as Erica shoved her forward. "Do you still need a ride home?" She asked, turning her back on Derek.

The blonde laughed. "Nice change of subject, but no, Stiles is giving me a ride. You my dear, have someone much hotter than I am to talk to." She winked, the saucier side of the blonde making a rare appearance on the school grounds. "And then you'll call me later and tell me everything."

Sarah shook her head, glad that they could still joke. "I'll call you later Eri." She laughed.

Erica turned and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Girl, you better." She gave Sarah a light shove in the brooding man's direction and before the brunette could say another word, she was half was across the field, jogging towards a confused Stiles, jumping onto his back for a piggyback as soon as she got there. 

Rolling her eyes as she watched her two friends she was startled to feel the calloused hand on her shoulder. Whilst she hadn't been paying attention Derek had apparently gotten tired of waiting for her to come to him, so he instead, came to her. Noticing her obvious jump he smirked down at her, their slight height difference allowing him to do so.

"Your friend is interesting."

"You have no idea." Sarah sighed, her eyes following as the blue jeep trundled out of the still packed parking lot.

Derek followed her gaze to the worn tail lights of a jeep that had obviously seen better days. "Oh I wouldn't say that. I mean you'd almost expect to smell blood out on the field, with all the contact going on, but certainly not in the stands."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sarah snapped, the guilt that had subsided flaring as he fixed her with a stern gaze.

Recognising the look in her eyes as the one he say in the mirror he sighed. "If you'd wanted to kill her, and I mean really kill her... she would have been dead. You've got more control than you realise."

"But it's not enough!" She shouted.

"It never is!" He replied, his voice matching hers to the decibel. "Does she know what you are?"

"Yes." Sarah ground out. "It was kind of obvious after I tried to rip out her jugular."

"She's forgiven you."

"Yes."

Derek caught her chin and made her look at him. "Then put it behind you and move on." He said softly.

The brunette stared up at him, his green eyes still so cold and filled with anger and suddenly all she wanted to do was kiss the pain away. "Maybe you should start taking your own advice."

"Maybe I should."

"How'd Beacon's finest treat you?" She whispered, finding the whole situation they'd found themselves in far too intense after the evening she'd had.

Derek cracked a smile. "Could've been worse. No thanks to your brother and his trusty sidekick however." He glanced back towards the goals, somewhat disappointed by her obvious ploy to change the subject. "He was lucky."

"He was stupid."

"Yeah." Derek muttered, remembering how adamant he'd been about playing basketball, even on a full moon. "So was I." Turning his gaze back towards the slim girl in front of him he tugged lightly at the drawstring of her hoodie, a rare show of affection that he wasn't sure would ever be reciprocated by her. "Y'know, you should have worn the jacket... it suited you."

Sarah, her eyes drawn to his long fingers as they played with the drawstring suddenly had a flash of what else he could be doing with those fingers, and how they'd feel splayed against her side as they pushed her top up and over her head. A light blush bloomed on her cheeks and she was glad for the darkness that surrounded them. Glancing up at him through her eyelashes, his comment about the jacket finally registered with her. "Is that an invitation to keep it?"

Derek leaned down, a smirk playing on his lips as he leant towards her ear. "It looked better on you anyway." Her barely suppressed shiver caused him to smirk, enjoying the affect his proximity had on her. The little spark between them could end up with both of them being burned and he'd never really been good with fire... but Sarah, she made him want to dance among the flames. Putting some desperately needed space between them he pressed a thin strip of paper into her palm and brushed his lips across her cheek impulsively. "'Til next time."

Sarah glanced down at the tiny scrap of paper at the ten digits scrawled in an elegant hand. A phone number? He was gone when she tore her eyes away from the number he'd given her, but it didn't bother her, the heat from his lips against her cheek remained, and so did the paper in her hands. Derek Hale had given her his phone number and she hadn't even had to ask. Sarah grinned as she shoved her hands in the front pocket of her favourite hoodie, feeling lighter than she had the whole day. And as Scott threw his arm around her shoulder and hugged her tightly, she couldn't even find it within herself to complain.

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's chapter two done and dusted! Leave me a kudos or comment to tell me what you think (I love it when you do that) and I hope you guys are enjoying what I've done so far! Thank you and goodnight.


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